“It seems like interest (in Civil Defense) just kind of faded away,” said Higgins, who grew up in California, where earthquake drills were more the order of the day. “At conferences I go to we seldom focus on nuclear attack preparations. There are far more discussions on what might happen with a nuclear release (from a weapons lab or power plant).”

Looming over Oregon, meanwhile, is the possibility of a massive Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake. Is the mid-valley ready, Higgins was asked?

“A lot of people think government is going to be able to take care of them,” Higgins said, “and we’re not going to be capable of it. The main thing we will be doing is getting to people in the greatest need … getting roadways open, making sure people can get to the hospital.

“People are going to need two weeks of food and water, and we don’t have the equipment or manpower or supplies to set up distribution centers.”

Higgins said that rural residents tend to be better prepared than city folks. “They are used to being without power,” he said. “Rural people have learned to prepare. My hope is that people will choose to be prepared and not expect someone else to take care of them. We need to focus on people who can’t take care of themselves. That’s about all we can do.”