Is your home earthquake ready

This week the world has been shook by dozens of earthquakes. November 13th, California registered 6 different earthquakes.

All over the world, leaders are moving towards having better disaster preparation systems in place. This is everything from training programs, emergency preparation and even more so building inspections and improvements. Our state is no different.

California, Oregon, and Washington are located in a subduction zone. This is where tectonic plates are shifting and where one plate is moving under another. The Pacific Plate and the Juan de Fuca Plate are pushing together. When the friction becomes too much, the Juan de Fuca plate will slip under the North American Plate (the Pacific Plate).

When this happens the result will be an 8.5 to 9.0 magnitude earthquake, the great Cascadia Quake. The quake will trigger a massive tsunami and thousands of landslides through the Pacific Northwest. It will be the worst natural disaster in the history of North America. The destruction will displace a million people and take years to rebuild.

Did you know that according to FEMA an estimated 75% of all structures in Oregon are not designed to withstand a major quake? The most heavily impacted areas will be along the coast. Many businesses fail or move if services cannot be restored within a month. This spells serious economic shifts and losses for the state in the rebuild and after.

Preparing for Disaster

This week the world has been shaken by dozens of earthquakes. November 13th, California registered 6 different earthquakes. There are currently just over one million earthquakes recorded around the world each year. All over the globe, leaders are moving towards having better disaster preparation systems in place. This is everything from training programs, emergency preparation and even more so building inspections and improvements. Our state is no different.

California, Oregon, and Washington are located in a subduction zone. This is where tectonic plates are shifting and where one plate is moving under another. The Pacific Plate and the Juan de Fuca Plate are pushing together. When the friction becomes too much, the Juan de Fuca plate will slip under the North American Plate (the Pacific Plate). When this happens, the result will be an 8.5 to 9.0 magnitude earthquake, the great Cascadia Quake. The quake will trigger a massive tsunami and thousands of landslides through the Pacific Northwest. It will be the worst natural disaster in the history of North America. The destruction will displace a million people and take years to rebuild.

Did you know that according to FEMA an estimated 75% of all structures in Oregon are not designed to withstand a major quake? The most heavily impacted areas will be along the coast. Many businesses fail or move if services cannot be restored within a month. This spells serious economic shifts and losses for the state in the rebuild and after.

We cannot avoid this earthquake, it is going to happen. It is just a matter of when. The unfortunate part is that it could happen tomorrow or a thousand years from now. In 2011, the Oregon legislature passed the Oregon Resilience Plan to create more resilient architecture and prepare us for this catastrophic event. There are things that you can do in order to prepare yourself, your family and your home in order to protect your family and your investments.

Do you have an emergency plan in place for work and for home? Where will everyone meet and connect? Do you have enough resources at home if you lose power or water, or you are stranded? Do you have a GO bag if you have to evacuate? You can find all of these resources on The Ready website has great tools and guides to what you should be packing and have ready in the event of a disaster.

Is your home prepared for natural disaster? Do you know what types of natural disaster risks you face in your home? Depending on where you are in Oregon your risks may be greater or different than that of someone in another area. The State of Oregon has created an amazing tool known as HazVu in order to show you which hazards you face based on your address. Even without a catastrophic event like the Cascadia Quake, many areas are in flood and landslide risk areas as well as an earthquake risk.

Knowing your geographical risks can help you to ensure your home is prepared. For example, if you are in an earthquake zone you may want install foundation braces such as seismic retrofitting brackets or larger framing structures such as power braces. Those in a flood zone, as well as a landslide-prone area, should be equipping their homes with mechanical engineered crawlspace vents as well as ensuring you have sandbags or a drainage solution.

Like so many things, disaster preparation is not something that we think about. Just like most people put off going to the dentist until they get a horrific toothache and have no other choice. Being prepared can make the difference for you, your home, and your family in the event of a natural disaster.