DisastersOregon citizens preparing for the Big One
A new study concludes that an earthquake of a magnitude 8.0 or above will strike off the coast of the state within the next fifty years. The Cascadia Fault, which runs from Northern California to British Columbia, Canada, causes a massive earthquake every 300 years or so, and the last time an earthquake hit the region was in the year 1700.
Survival kits proliferate in Oregon in preparation of the expected "Big One" // Source: nunoa.olx.cl
A study released by Oregon State University concludes that an earthquake of a magnitude 8.0 or above will strike off the coast of the state within the next fifty years.
USA Todayreports that the Cascadia Fault, which runs from Northern California to British Columbia, Canada, causes a massive earthquake every 300 years or so, and the last time an earthquake hit the region was in the year 1700.
Yumei Wang, a geohazards engineer for the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries, has been studying earthquakes for more than thirty years. He said that an earthquake may not happen for decades, but that it also could happen tomorrow, and that many citizens in the state are not prepared.
“A very large magnitude earthquake is inevitable, and we are very ill-prepared and we must prepare for it if we are going to survive it,” Wang told USA Today.
Michael Knight, who owns the Portland Preparedness Center, sells supplies for emergencies. He urges citizens to follow the guidelines of the Federal Emergency and Management Agency and the Red Cross, because these guidelines, if followed, could keep people alive for seventy-two hours. The center sells “72-hour bags,” which Knight says are designed to get you home after disaster strikes.
Knight’s store deals in other emergencies unrelated to earthquakes, but he says that most customers come to the store to get ready for an earthquake.
“They are self-reliant independent thinkers with no desire to get caught up in any bad social scenarios that might occur in the times ahead,” Knight told USA Today. “Here in Oregon, their major concern seems to be the increasing likelihood of an earthquake in the magnitude 9-plus range, which local scientists say is overdue.”
Tom Nelson, who retired from the military and now lies in Milwaukie, Oregon, and his wife have created their own supply shop full of food, water, and supplies in case something happens. If a disaster occurs while he is on the road, Nelson keeps two “144-hour bags” in his truck at all times.
David Kolber, who frequently appears on the show Doomsday Preppers, believes that being ready for disasters starts with the individual.
“You need to take care of yourself, and you need to take care of your neighbors,” Kobler told USA Today. “You might have to be the person who helps rescue your neighbor.”
Peter Mulder, a retired banker from Portland, is also prepared for an earthquake or another disaster, with six months worth of food, fifty gallons of water, tools, medicine, and liquor in his basement
“If you have a major quake here, a lot of the Portland area is just not prepared, and stores would be emptied in a matter of days and they wouldn’t be restocked for weeks,” Mulder said. “It’s not a question of if, it’s a question of when.”
