The entire mind-set of Civil Defense seemed inapplicable to the situation. Anchorage needed people to pitch in constructively and solve problems together, not evacuate, or hide out in bomb shelters, until those problems passed. Genie had always bought into Civil Defense’s mission before the quake. She studied their literature and stocked her family’s basement with food and water, sleeping bags, and lanterns. Now, though, she realized she’d never stopped to think about what Civil Defense was supposed to do during an actual emergency—and it seemed to her like Civil Defense may not have
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