Earthquakes are a fact of life in Oregon.  A Cascadia subduction zone earthquake has the potential to cause major damage, loss of life and disruption of civil functions. It is best to recognize this fact and be prepared.  If you aren't sure this applies to you, here is link to the map of the Corvallis fault line.  In fact Oregon Emergency Management recommends that you have a 2 week supply of water, food, medications and necessities in reserve at all times.

SWNA wants to help by passing on information.  This site provides an annotated list of selected sites and resources appropriate for our neighborhood.  If you know of more information to share, please contact us at officers@skylinewest.org.  SWNA will also sponsor education meetings and preparedness events.

From the Safety Committee:
Earthquake Preparedness
An international focus on earthquake preparedness and drills occurs each year with an "International Great ShakeOut” day in October. Oregon participates with its own "Great Oregon Shakeout".
https://www.shakeout.org/oregon/index.html 

Although Skyline West will participate in the “Great Oregon Shakeout”, we don’t have to wait until then to prepare for the large earthquake that will eventually occur in Oregon.  The SWNA Safety Commitee-Street Liaisons recently distributed information dealing with disaster preparedness, including the booklet “Living on Shaky Ground”.  We encourage you to look at the booklet to better understand our earthquake risk and prepare for an earthquake.  In case you did not receive a copy of the booklet, you can get it at:
https://www.oregongeology.org/tsuclearinghouse/resources/pdfs/shakygroundmagazine_Oregon.pdf

The “Living on Shaky Ground” booklet includes a 7-step guide for what we can do before, during, and after an earthquake to reduce injuries and limit property damage.  The 7-step guide can also be found at:
http://www.earthquakecountry.org/sevensteps/

In addition, the following link has an excellent video that identifies hazards in the home and how to reduce them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGqfvhtbmOQ

We will remind residents in early October about the Great Oregon Shakeout and encourage residents to prepare for an earthquake and participate in drills to practice and assess what to do in case of an earthquake. The link below has links to customized ideas for what you, your family or your organization can do to participate in the ShakeOut to get prepared for earthquakes:
https://www.shakeout.org/oregon/howtoparticipate/

Preparing for disasters can be overwhelming. However, identifying risks and reducing them over time will save lives, reduce injuries and limit property damage.

For more information:

Benton County Sheriff's Office webpage on earthquakes:  Has a brief discussion of types of earthquakes and how they cause damage followed by several links to documents and resources.

Oregon Resiliency Plan is the report to the Governor recommending that the state prepare for a possible magnitude 9 earthquake and tsunami and advises that every Oregonian "be prepared to be on their own for a minimum of 2 weeks."

The Really Big One by Kathryn Schulz.  A 2015 article in the New Yorker magazine about OSU research into the possibility and magnitude of a Cascadia subduction earthquake.

Strengthen Your Home for the Next Big Earthquake.  Advice from the town of San Leandro, CA, to its citizens.

More information about seismic retrofitting for wood-frame houses from a commercial site in Seattle.

Natural Gas:  How and when to shut it off from Northwest Natural Gas and the Benton County Emergency Management site.