Cascadia Rising helps Oregon prep for massive earthquake
Gov. Kate Brown began her day Tuesday by pretending a 9.0-magnitude earthquake had just struck the Northwest, shaking bridges, crumbling buildings and buckling roads.
Brown wasn't alone in envisioning a day overtaken by the aftermath of a Cascadian Subduction Zone earthquake and resulting tsunami. About 20,000 people are expected to be involved in the four-day preparedness drill.
The exercise is dubbed Cascadia Rising, after the Cascadia Subduction Zone, which runs 600 miles from Northern California to Canada. A massive earthquake threatens to strike the Pacific Northwest, possibly causing a tsunami, killing thousands and leaving millions without basic services, and officials want to be prepared.
"By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail," Brown said, quoting Benjamin Franklin.
She went on the describe the total decimation a large-scale earthquake would bring to Oregon.
"The ground will shake for four to six minutes, buildings and bridges will fall, landslides will sweep down hillsides, and in some places the ground will liquefy," Brown said. "Then, a tsunami will inundate the coast with as little as 15 minutes warning."
At 8 a.m. Tuesday, the Oregon Office of Emergency Management and the Oregon National Guard, along with several other state, county, federal and local agencies, pretended that a massive earthquake struck the region followed by a towering tsunami crashing into the coast.
The first step, after taking cover and ensuring everyone is safe, is getting the facts together. Ali Ryan Hansen, communications director for the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries, said her agency will be charged with assembling scientists and experts to analyze how the earthquake and the aftermath of tsunamis, landslides and floods changed the landscape of Oregon.
"All these things that will change the world as we know it," she said.
The involved agencies would brief Brown on the extent of the damage, and the Oregon National Guard would fly her over the affected areas to view the devastation.
She boarded a UH-72 Lakota helicopter Tuesday as part of the Cascadia Rising exercise. The helicopter would take the governor to Portland along Interstate 5, said Stephen Bomar, spokesman for the Oregon Military Department. Bomar and OEM spokesman Cory Grogan agreed the training was necessary because the possibility of an earthquake was not a matter of if but when.
Cascadia Rising has been in the works for years. Grogan said it is not the first emergency training exercise, but it is definitely the biggest earthquake preparedness drill the region has seen.
Not only is the training good for the "Big One," it will also benefit small-scale disasters.
"If we are planning for our worst day, we'll be prepared for other disasters," Bomar said.
Before boarding the helicopter, Brown lauded the work different agencies have done in preparation for the earthquake and said she was excited for what recently appointed State Resiliency Officer Michael Harryman would bring to the table.
"This work could not come soon enough," she said.
Brown stressed the importance of residents incrementally preparing for a disaster by adding important items to their emergency kit. Oregonians should work week-by-week to add food, water and critical items to their stores along with creating emergency plans for their families.
"I want you all to know that we can do this," Brown said. "We can do this together."
Email wmwoodwort@statesmanjournal.com, call 503-399-6884 or follow on Twitter @wmwoodworth
Preparing homes, apartments for the Big One
The Statesman Journal has launched a 12-month series of stories to help residents become better prepared for any disaster. It's also offering, in cooperation with the American Red Cross Northwest Oregon Chapter, a unique guide to building an earthquake preparedness kit.
Since many individuals questioned after an earthquake about why they weren't prepared cite the expense of building a kit, the Statesman and the Red Cross are offering a 24-week guide to building one. The newspaper will run the guide every two weeks in an effort to coincide with bimonthly paydays. Every two weeks, residents will be advised what items to add to their kits. At the end of the 24 weeks, the kit should contain enough food, water and First Aid supplies to last a family two weeks. Instructions for outfitting an entire kit at one time can also be found online at www.statesmanjournal.com. Look for the Think Big logo.