New Show Highlights Crumbling Infrastructure

Do you need something else to be paranoid about? I certainly don't, but nevertheless, the show Inspector America is an important reality check into America's infrastructure. Timothy Galarnyk, an infrastructure safety inspector with over 35 years of experience, hosts the show, a one-hour series that runs on Sundays at 10 p.m. on the History Channel.

Galarnyk visits various bridges, dams, tunnels and other important structures to gauge their current safety level and how they might fare in a disaster. If you think that you can get to wherever you need to go in Cowlitz County following an earthquake, you are in serious disaster-denial. These are all issues to take into consideration when working out an emergency plan with your family.

For instance, I work on the Longview side of the bridge, but my children are on the Kelso side. If there is a large earthquake and both bridges are impassable, I need a plan to either get to my kids or have someone else get to them. I am not a great swimmer, so swimming across the Cowlitz to get to the Kelso side isn't an option. I've worked out plans with my daycare, my husband and other family members to take care of the kids in the event that I couldn't immediately get to Kelso.

For more on "Infrastructure America", click here. There's only been one episode (it premiered on the 17th), but it was very eye-opening. I know in future episodes he visits locations on the west coast, so watch for that.