The next 9.0 Cascadia Subduction Zone Earthquake could happen anytime. We are now 316 years into a 200-500 year cycle. This is the Big One. Buildings will topple, utilities will be out and people will die.
FEMA projects that nearly 13,000 people will die in the Cascadia earthquake and tsunami. Another 27,000 injured.
But there’s good news! Northwesterners tend to be outdoorsy and have boots, tents, sleeping bags and cooking stoves. We also have a high level of volunteerism and social cohesion. We are strong and resilient. We can adapt. It’s not the end of the world.
The Oregon Resilience Plan concludes very large earthquakes will occur in Oregon’s future, and our state’s infrastructure will remain poorly prepared to meet the threat unless we take action now.
Be Prepared. A Basic Disaster Supplies Kit, with 2 weeks of supplies, a First Aid Kit and a gallon of water per day per person is cheap insurance.
Why not start this week, creating a plan and a supply kit. Just in case.
Internet Resources
Earthquake Overviews
- New Yorker: The Really Big One
- After The Big One, by Adam Rothstein
- Oregon Field Guide’s “Unprepared”
- Oregon Live: Preparing for The Really Big One
- Portland Mercury: The First Four Minutes
- Portland Monthly: Earthquake Survival Guide
- Willamette Week: Quake-Up Call
Backgrounders
- Subduction zones and earthquakes
- Cascadia Subduction Zone
- Wikipedia: Megathrust earthquakes
- Wikipedia: Juan de Fuca spreading center
- Wikipedia: Blanco Fracture Zone
- Wikipedia: Gorda Ridge
- Wikipedia: Liquefaction
- Wikipedia: Seismic retrofits
- Oregon Resilience Plan
- Pacific Northwest Seismic Network
- Ocean Observatories Initiative
- Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory
- Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (Twitter)
- Oregon Bridges Seismic Vulnerability Analysis
Agencies
- FEMA, Earthquakes, Region X in Oregon and Washington
- Ready.gov
- State of Oregon Emergency Management Office
- Oregon State Police
- Multnomah County Emergency Management
- Clark County Regional Emergency Services Agency
- Portland Bureau of Emergency Management
- Portland Fire & Rescue
- Neighorhood Emergency Teams
- NET Facebook page and NET Bulletins
- BEECN Map and BEECN – Spanish
- Oregon Geology
- Public Alerts
Utilities
- Portland General
- Pacific Power
- NW Natural
- Tri-Met
- ODOT
- Portland Water Bureau
- Oregon’s Critical Energy Infrastructure Hub
- Army Corps of Engineers
- BPA study
Preparation: Before the Quake
- Checklist for Homeowners
- Emergency Communication Plan
- Emergency Supplies for Earthquake Preparedness
- Red Cross: Earthquake Preparedness
- National Tsunami Mitigation Program
- Tsunami for Oregon boat owners
- Jantzen Beach Moorage EMERGENCY PROCEDURES
- Family Plan for the big shake
- 17 Videos on Basic Preparedness from Portland Emergency Management
- How to make a disaster kit and a first aid kit
- Go Bag for Kids
- Pet Preparedness from Portland Emergency Management
- Earthquake Preparedness Guide for People with Disabilities
- Key Earthquake Safety Tips for People with Disabilities
- Earthquake Preparation in Spanish
- Red Cross: Disaster and Safety in multiple languages
Ham Radio
- Portland Amateur Radio Club
- Tualatin Valley Amateur Radio Club
- Clark County Amateur Radio Club
- Northwest Traffic and Training Net
- Portland and Vancouver repeater frequencies
- Scanner frequencies for Multnomah and Clark Counties
- Live scanner audio
First Aid
- FEMA: Basic Disaster Supplies Kit
- OEM: Basic Disaster Supplies Kit
- First Aid Kit
- Red Cross Family Go Kit
Apps
- FEMA mobile app
- Portland Emergency Management apps.
- Earthquake App American Red Cross
- ShakeMap and ShakeCast
Media
- Oregon Newspapers
- Oregon Radio
- Oregon TV
- Washington State Media
- The Daily Astorian
- Seaside Signal
- The News-Times (Newport)
- Chinook Observer (Long Beach, Washington)
- Salem Statesman Journal
- Oregon Live
- Vancouver Columbian
Social Media
- City of Portland: Social Media Directory
- Facebook: Portland
- Twitter: Portland
- Flickr: Portland
- Instagram: Portland
- Reddit: Earthquakes
- Reddit: Portland
Other Contacts
- American Red Cross 503-284-1234
- American Humane Society 503-285-7722
- Living on Shaky Ground humboldt.edu/shakyground
- USGS Earthquake Preparedness earthquake.usgs.gov/prepare
- NOAA Tsunami Preparedness tsunami.noaa.gov/prepare.html
- FEMA ready.gov
- Centers for Disease Control www.bt.cdc.gov
- National Weather Service nws.noaa.gov
- Oregon Dept of Forestry oregon.gov/ODF