Earthquake data
Allstate drops earthquake insurance in Washington state
June 2, 2006 - 3:03pm — Michael Kisor50,000 Washington state property owners are about to learn they aren’t in such good hands after all when the next earthquake strikes. According to a report by Seattle’s King-5 News: “Hurricane Katrina has the insurance industry re-thinking its exposure to mass disasters,” and suggests that other insurers may follow Allstate’s lead.
Disaster-Resistant Fire Station
May 15, 2006 - 10:27am — Michael KisorNot long ago an article ran in a local paper, citing a PSU professor of urban studies, which suggested Portland was pretty disaster-resistant because we’re retrofitting fire stations to meet seismic code. Another article quoted an engineer saying that the fault lines running through Portland only produced large earthquakes every 6,500 years or so. Both sounded reassuring, and both had a kernel of truth. However neither told the whole truth, and the devil, as they say, is in the details.
Learning From The Earthquake – What Rescuers Learned
April 18, 2006 - 11:33am — Michael KisorLocation
There is an excellent article everyone – especially ET members – should read titled Learning From The Earthquake. It is a firsthand account of citizen emergency response in one area of San Francisco following the Loma Prieta earthquake. Reading the whole article is important because you better understand why the bullet points in the synopsis below are important. And only by reading the full account can you understand the all so important psychology of such a situation. You will be dealing with not only with your own emotions, but those of others around you as well. By understanding what to expect, you will be better prepared to respond to an emergency and save lives.
Wait for firehouses burns up more time
December 6, 2005 - 2:03am — Zeus IIThe Oregonian
Wait for firehouses burns up more time
Southwest residents expected two new fire stations when voters approved a Portland Fire Bureau bond measure in 1998.
Seven years later, there's no sign of either one.
The Fire Bureau has acquired two sites, but whether there will be two new stations or just one remains to be seen. The answer is expected sometime next year.
Fire Marshal John Klum says the bureau delayed relocation of Fire Station 18, now in Multnomah, and construction of a new Fire Station 21 because of inflation in the construction industry. Both stations had been planned to be built this year. The bond measure included money to cover a 3.5 percent inflation rate. But Klum says many bids were running 8 percent to 30 percent higher.
Hazards Awareness
By far the biggest hazard facing Portland and surrounding communities is a Cascadia Megathrust Subduction Zone earthquake (magnitude 9+). While a direct nuclear blast would be devastating, its range is limited. A Cascadia subduction zone earthquake would unleash far more energy, and devastate a much larger region (approximately 84,000 square miles in size – from southern Canada to northern California, from the Pacific Ocean to the Cascade Mountains).
Cascadia Subduction Zone
This page to contain data about the Cascadia Subduction Zone.
Resources on the Web
Emergency Preparedness
This Emergency Preparedness web-book consists of three sections:
- Hazards Awareness
- Personal Preparedness
- Community Preparedness
Portland’s worst-case hazard scenario is a Cascadia Megathrust Subduction Zone earthquake (magnitude 9+). If you’re prepared for that, you’re prepared for any kind of disaster. And there is no doubt that it’s coming.
The SW Emergency Preparedness Group consists of citizens working to create disaster-resistant communities by raising public awareness, working with our civic leaders, and educating citizens how to prepare for and respond to natural disasters.
