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Even though California is thousands of miles away from Japan, some people here are still rushing to buy iodide pills.
"We had people coming in and calling asking for Potassium iodide...and the phone was off the hook," said Aron De La Campa, an employee at Nature's Health Food and Cafe in Palm Springs.
Nature's is all out of Potassium iodide right now. That's because some in the valley are stocking up, worried about radiation exposure from Japan's leaking nuclear plant.
Once the Potassium iodide ran out, De La Campa said many customers started buying supplements and dozens of packs of Kelp noodles which have naturally occurring Potassium iodide in them.
"I got some kelp that doesn't have Potassium-- only iodine," said Doug Jung.
Jung says he's worried about winds blowing harmful radiation exposure to California.
"It's quite serious because it looks like they're losing control of the reactor," said Jung.
Apparently, the concern over possible radiation making its way to the Southland is so great, the Riverside County Department of Public Health was prompted to issue the following statement Wednesday:
The current crisis at Japanese nuclear plants poses no increased risk of harmful radiation exposure in Riverside County or elsewhere in the United States, Riverside County Health Officer Eric Frykman said Wednesday.
Frykman cautioned residents against ingesting potassium iodide out of fear about “possible” radiation exposure, the subject of recent reports in the U.S. media.
“Current radiation levels pose no risk to our residents and taking potassium iodide when levels are normal could cause side effects,” Frykman said.
Riverside County and other local, state and federal agencies nationwide are monitoring systems that detect changes in radiation levels, which remain in the normal range. If at some point residents need to take potassium iodide as a protection against radiation exposure, that recommendation will be made publicly by county health officials and other local, state and federal agencies. We do not anticipate that step will be needed.
Instead, residents should ensure they are prepared for earthquakes or other potential emergencies that could occur here at any time. A basic emergency preparedness kit should include:
Enough water to last at least seven days
Food for at least seven days
Cash and important documents
Clothes
Flashlights
First-aid kit
Prescription medication
Radio
Toiletries
Tools
These essential items will help ensure that people have basic essentials that might not be available during an emergency. It is also vital that families develop a plan to deal with emergencies before they strike. Plans should include a pre-planned meeting place and a designated out-of-state contacts, in case family members are separated or at work or school when an emergency strikes.
More information on earthquake and disaster readiness can be found at http://www.rivcophepr.org or http://www.rvcfire.org/opencms/functions/oes
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