Former Walking Dead Star Warns to Be Prepared for “the Big One” After L.A. Earthquakes

Former Walking Dead star Lawrence Gilliard Jr., who played Bob Stookey between seasons 4 and 5, says the 6.4 and then 7.1-magnitude earthquakes that rattled California in recent days means west coasters need to be prepared for “the Big One.”

“Yeah, crazy man. I was here for Northridge and that actually scared me back east,” Gilliard told TMZ Saturday when approached in Los Angeles. “So I just landed here to do this, then we’re hit with a bunch of earthquakes. It’s like ‘welcome back, Lawrence.’”

Because Gilliard’s Bob navigated the apocalypse in The Walking Dead, does he have advice for Californians? “You gotta be prepared, man,” he said. “Although it’s not gonna help. If the Big One hits, all this is gonna be in the ocean [laughs].”

The star admits he hasn’t prepped at all — “Tomorrow I’m getting on a plane, that’s my prep,” he joked — but he expects looting if California is rocked by even bigger earthquakes.

“That’s gonna happen, people are gonna need tools, and weapons, and they’re gonna need things to survive,” Gilliard said. “If it’s the apocalypse dude, everything’s off limits! All bets are off. It’s free to loot, do whatever you need to do to survive.”

In a July 4 tweet, the Los Angeles Fire Department advised Southern California residents against calling 911 “unless there are injuries or other dangerous [conditions].”

Los Angeles Police Department spokesman Josh Rubenstein also warned Californians to be prepared, writing on Twitter, “Don’t be paralyzed by fear. Arm yourself with knowledge and a plan. Talk about what you would do when a big one hits. I myself just did that with my daughter and my wife.”

The Walking Dead Season 10 will premiere on AMC in October. Stars including Norman Reedus, Danai Gurira, Melissa McBride and Jeffrey Dean Morgan will appear at San Diego Comic-Con July 19 with the first look at the coming season.