Cascadia mega-quake anniversary good reminder to be earthquake-ready
9.0-magnitude shock hit off the coast on Jan. 26, 1700
SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) The 600-mile fault line of the Cascadia Subduction Zone runs from northern California to British Columbia, bringing with it potential danger of devastation to communities along the West Coast by the effects of a high-magnitude earthquake and resulting tsunamis.
Although it’s been 321 years since the last Cascadia event, and the chances are far and few between, 2020 reminded us that anything can happen and to be prepared for the unexpected.
“Oregon is one of the most earthquake-prone areas in the continental United States, and over the years, we have had many quakes – large and small,” said Althea Rizzo, geologic hazards program coordinator for Oregon’s Office of Emergency Management.
Opinion: Because disasters don’t wait, our earthquake preparation can’t either
Updated Jan 24, 2021;
Posted Jan 24, 2021
Ancient sitka spruce trees emerge from the beach during a low tide at Neskowin on the Oregon coast. The so-called ghost forest is thought to have been buried during a massive earthquake 2,000 years ago, initially uncovered by storms in the late 1990s. (Jamie Hale/The Oregonian)LC- Jamie Hale/The Oregonian
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Debbie Moller
Moller, who previously worked in the Oregon Office of Emergency Management, is a senior fellow at the Center of Excellence, Homeland Security and Emergency Management in Washington and author of “Get Ready – How to Prepare for and Stay Safe After a Pacific Northwest Earthquake.” She lives in Salem.
We need immediacy : Town in Santiam Canyon struggles to survive months after Beachie Creek Fire
In wiping out half the homes in Gates, the mayor said the Beachie Creek Fire erased almost half its revenue, which was small to begin with. Author: Morgan Romero Updated: 7:32 PM PST January 22, 2021
GATES, Ore. Four and a half months after flames tore through the Santiam Canyon, the town of Gates is sending out an urgent plea for help.
The Beachie Creek Fire devastated Gates, wiping out half of what was there. People are dealing with more devastation as the recovery process drags on and the wheels of bureaucracy turn slowly.
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PORTLAND, Ore., Jan. 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ As the Oregon Health Authority s designated COVID-19 hotline for the state, 211info saw a significant increase in calls from Oregonians in need of social service support throughout 2020.
Residents from all 36 Oregon counties reached out to 211info for social service referrals and information during this time period.
The top five areas of need? Housing, health care, utility assistance, food/meal assistance, and family and community support such as childcare.
211info also serves as a central resource for residents looking for information about the novel coronavirus. When COVID-19 first reached Oregon in March, 211info saw an almost seven-fold increase in contacts about health care, noted Dan Herman, 211info s Chief Executive Officer.
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KLCC s Brian Bull reports on erosion risks in areas hit by the 2020 wildfires, and what s being done to help offset the problem.
A new report by the Erosion Threat Assessment/Reduction Team (ETART) looked at several recent major wildfires. This includes the Holiday Farm Fire which consumed 173,000 acres, and cost $42 million to suppress. Most of the affected areas now have “high” to “very high” erosion risk, which increases the chance of landslides.
Renee Davis of the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board was part of an ETART media panel. She said rehabilitation efforts are underway to reduce the risk.
“Mulching to keep in place soil that otherwise would be at risk. Also some early seeding to get some vegetation re-established. Then as we move into coming spring, very intense replanting efforts with saplings, ultimately growing into some of the forest we lost during this fire season.”