EARTHQUAKES and TSUNAMIS
A study by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) ranks Oregon third in the nation and Washington ranks second in the nation for earthquake damage estimates resulting from expected future events. Off the Oregon and Washington coasts lies the Cascadia subduction zone, the site of expected powerful earthquakes with Richter scale magnitudes of 8 to 9 or larger. Click on the FEMA website to learn more www.fema.gov
A Cascadia earthquake resulting in damaging locally generated tsuanmi, one of the most dangerous and destructive natural disasters, threatens the Pacific Northwest coast from Cape Mendocino to British Columbia. Although these massive locally generated tsunamis occur infrequently (as little as 200 to as much as 1000 years apart), The last Cascadia event on the Pacific Northwest coast happened January 26, 1700, about 308 years ago.
The next Cascadia offshore earthquake and resulting tsunami could strike any YEAR, MONTH, DAY, HOUR, MINUTE . . .TIME IS RUNNING OUT --- ARE YOU PREPARED?
A study by the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries projects losses exceeding $12 billion, with over 30,000 destroyed buildings and 8,000 lives lost in the event of a single magnitude 8.5 Cascadia earthquake. These are very conservative numbers as lives lost and damage estimates are not included in these calculations Locally generated earthquakes are expected to cause substantial additional losses. To learn more about the geology and natural hazards of the region click on www.oregongeology.com or www.NatureNW.org
PLP stresses the need to take preventive measures by applying easy and affordable safety techniques to the contents of your home BEFORE the earthquake. These safety measures will lessen the risk of injury caused during the earthquake, and will allow you to quickly evacuate inland and to high ground to escape the tsunami. Click on the following websites to find out more about hazard preparedness. Institute for Business and Home Safety: www.IBHS.org
American Red Cross www.redcross.org
