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Preparing for “The Big One”

A great deal of national attention has recently been focused on the predicted Cascadia earthquake. Cedar Mill and its surrounding hillsides are located in “strong” to “very strong” zones of hazard, with one of the identified fault lines running along the Tualatin Hills.

Visit the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI) website to view interactive maps via the “HazVu” system.

The map from the DOGAMI website illustrates hazard areas in Cedar Mill. View it online here.

Here are some practical steps you and your family can take to improve your odds of staying safe and relatively comfortable when “The Big One” hits.

Keep an earthquake-safe kit in hour your home and car. Find suggestions here. Don't forget to include important documents and cash in your kit.

Make sure your home is bolted to the foundation to decrease the chance of collapse. Strap down your water heater. If it falls over, it can start a fire. Bolt bookshelves and tall furniture to the wall. Move heavy objects to low shelves. Those items can become projectiles in a major earthquake.

Know your neighbors so you can check on each other and make a plan with your family.

In a Cascadia earthquake, lines of communication you are used to (cell phone, texting, email, and other internet sources) may be tied up or destroyed. In other words, figure out how you're going to connect as if it was 1900!

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