Once a major earthquake strikes and disrupts infrastructure, access to food, water, electricity and other vital systems might be limited for several days. Not sure if you have enough to be ready for an emergency? Here's a checklist you can use, built from a wealth of resources and past reports, to help you prepare for your food and water needs during a disaster:

Having ample clean water and staying hydrated is a top priority in an emergency. Build a supply of water that will meet your family's needs for several days.

Can openers are an essential emergency tool. Additionally, paper plates and plastic utensils will also be invaluable. If the water supply is off after an earthquake, paper removes the need to waste water on washing, making things much more sanitary.

During an earthquake, your refrigerator and freezer might lose power. Here are some tips to help your food last longer:

Without electricity, food stored in refrigerators and freezers can become unsafe. Unsafe food can make you sick. Throw away the following:

If you need to evacuate from your home, it will be difficult to use everything you've stocked up and you'll only be able to carry the minimum essentials. Those differ from person to person so it is important to think about what you might need to survive and prepare those items, rather than following a prepared list. Here are suggestions on what to place in your "go bag" for emergencies.

It really points out how fragile life is on earth. It was almost as though for that day nature had reached out and grabbed humanity by the neck and shaken everybody around a little bit…

The Bay Area knows how devastating a big earthquake can be. Within minutes of the 6.9 earthquake that struck the Bay Area on October 17, 1989, people were running to the rescue, scaling the crumpled Cypress Freeway, trying desperately to respond to the cries for help. 12 months later, on "Loma Prieta: The Great Quake of '89", KNTV took a look back at how those 15 seconds affected the entire Bay Area. It only lasted 15 seconds, but it managed to change lives forever.