Introduction
Cascadia Actions Steps explains how Oregon residents and guests can prepare to survive and rebuild after the expected Cascadia earthquake and resulting tsunami.
This checklist is a companion piece for Oregon State University Extension Service’s free online training, Preparing for the Cascadia Subduction Zone Event. The sessions are open to everyone. They include videos, narrated presentations, virtual reality simulations, interactive maps, articles and other resources exploring what the megaquake and tsunami will be like and how those affected can manage the subsequent recovery.
Scientists say there is a 37 percent chance that a major earthquake will occur along the Oregon Coast sometime within the next 50 years. The earthquake is expected to come from a rupture of the 600-mile fault called the Cascadia Subduction Zone, which sits from 70 to 100 miles off the Pacific Coast.
The fault is building up pressure and has the potential to produce a magnitude 8.0 to 9.0 earthquake with five to seven minutes of shaking and a tsunami.
Save this publication and use it as a checklist as you take the online training and make preparations. Additional tips are available in No Power? No Problem: Tips to Help You Thrive in the Face of Disaster (EM 9278).
Cascadia action steps
Select the steps you plan to take. Use a calendar to help organize your steps.
| Who is responsible? | When should this be completed? | Completed? When it’s done, check it off! | |
|---|---|---|---|
| PLANNING | |||
| Practice Drop, Cover and Hold On now and every 6 months (See Module 2). | |||
| Get a fire extinguisher and learn how to use it. | |||
| Prepare a written Emergency Financial Plan using a free kit from experts. (See Module 3, session 3.1) | |||
| Explore earthquake insurance. | |||
| Make copies of important papers for my Emergency Kit. | |||
| Keep at least a half-tank of fuel in my vehicle at all times. | |||
| Make written copies of my Family Communications Plan for each family member (See Module 3). | |||
| Establish a meeting place in my neighborhood. | |||
| Establish a meeting place outside my neighborhood. | |||
| Secure an out-of-area contact person. | |||
| Write down emergency numbers and make a copy for each family member. | |||
| Find an alternative place to stay. | |||
| Explore school or day care emergency plans. | |||
| Review, update and practice my plan every 6 months. | |||
| Regularly scout and walk tsunami evacuation routes when at the coast (See Modules 1 and 2). | |||
| Other: | |||
| EMERGENCY KITS | |||
| Store 1 gallon of water per person per day needed for 2–4 weeks. | |||
| Prepare a system to purify water. | |||
| Assemble a first aid kit. | |||
| Arrange with doctor for extra medication for 1–3 months. | |||
| Stock up on food for 2–4 weeks. | |||
| Prepare a sanitation system for managing human waste. | |||
| Assemble basic tools. | |||
| Get a NOAA weather radio. | |||
| Consider maintaining a landline phone. | |||
| Keep cell phone charged. | |||
| Prepare “2 to 4 Weeks Ready” Home Emergency Kit. | |||
| Prepare Grab-N-Go Emergency Kit. | |||
| Prepare Car or 72-hour Emergency Kit. | |||
| Prepare Work/School Emergency Kit. | |||
| Prepare Child’s Comfort Emergency Kit(s). | |||
| Prepare Pet Emergency Kit(s). | |||
| Check and update kits every 6 months. | |||
| Other: | |||
| IDENTIFY HAZARDS AND REDUCE RISK | |||
| Secure heavy furniture to wall to prevent tipping. | |||
| Secure heavy decorations to wall. | |||
| Secure water heater to prevent tipping. | |||
| Secure wood stove to prevent tipping. | |||
| Secure propane tank to prevent tipping. | |||
| Secure house to foundation. | |||
| Add reinforcement to the cripple wall under the house. | |||
| Reinforce the chimney. | |||
| Other: | |||
| EMOTIONAL RESPONSE | |||
| Prepare to be calm and resilient by practicing a positive outlook. | |||
| Find ways that help me manage stress. | |||
| Establish healthy routines (sleep, exercise, healthy eating). | |||
| Increase patience with myself and others. | |||
| Connect with others for strength and hope. | |||
| Practice living off my disaster supplies over a weekend and identify any gaps in my preparations. | |||
| Other: | |||
| SUPPORT YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD OR COMMUNITY | |||
| Connect with neighbors to share skills and resources. | |||
| Take a mental health first-aid class. | |||
| Take a wilderness first-aid class. | |||
| Take a CPR class. | |||
| Join a Community Emergency Response Team. | |||
| Participate in the Great Oregon Shakeout in October. | |||
| Other: | |||
Earthquake preparedness resources
When the next Cascadia Earthquake occurs, services likely will be interrupted for at least two weeks in Oregon. You can get ready by planning and preparing yourself and your community. Browse OSU resources on water, power, food and more.
For more information
- 2 Weeks Ready, Oregon Office of Emergency Management
- CERT Basic Training Participant Manual. 2019. Federal Emergency Management Agency
- Disaster Preparedness, Response, and Recovery, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
- Recovery after Disaster: The Family Financial Toolkit, University of Minnesota Extension
- Financial Recovery After Disaster video series, University of Minnesota Extension
- Mental Health First Aid USA (course and manual), National Council for Behavioral Health
- Prepare! A Resource Guide. American Red Cross Cascades Region. 2020
- Local American Red Cross office
- Ready.gov, Federal Emergency Management Agency
- Goldfinger, C., C.H. Nelson, A. Morey, J.E. Johnson, J. Gutierrez-Pastor, A.T. Eriksson, E. Karabanov, J. Patton, E. Gracia, R. Enkin, A. Dallimore, G. Dunhill, and T. Vallier. 2012. Turbidite Event History: Methods and Implications for Holocene Paleoseismicity of the Cascadia Subduction Zone. U.S. Geological Survey, p. 184
About the authors
Project supported by National Institute of Food and Agriculture Smith Lever Special Needs Competitive Grants Program (Award# 2018-41210-28702).