The Rapture, Camping says, will manifest itself as a cataclysmic earthquake that will open all graves and create mass hysteria. True believers will ascend to heaven while everyone else will suffer five months of unfathomable misery until God destroys the world, on Oct. 21.
New Zealand will be struck first, Camping predicts. The 6.3 quake that destroyed much of Christchurch in February was but a clearing of the throat, he says, compared to the wrath of the Almighty about to hit with full force.
In anticipation of property destruction, fires, flooding, disruption of essential services such as water, electricity, cellphones and the depletion of blood supplies, the American Red Cross Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter remains sanguine.
"Hmmm," Dave Schrader, the agency's spokesman, said fewer than 36 hours before the moment of truth.
As always, he said, the Red Cross is prepared for all disasters, "earthquakes, terrorist attacks, nuclear meltdowns." No formal contingency, though, for the end of the world.
Acknowledging that tomb openings disgorging putrefied corpses could pose a health hazard, he said Red Cross capabilities were limited. "I can't comment on the dead walking the earth. I don't think we have plans for that either."
At the Streets Department, spokeswoman June Cantor said she would look into whether additional trucks had been put on alert to deal with the rubble. "Anything else?" she asked.
Minutes later, she called back to say that all Rapturous inquiries were being referred to the Mayor's office. Before transferring the call, however, she voiced her concerns. "I've seen the billboards but thought it was an ad for a book coming out on the 21st." Confused, perhaps, by ads for Murder at the Mikvah.
