The shaking starts. It’s an earthquake! What do you do? Many people sit there wondering, “Is this ‘The Big One’?” On October 19 at 10:19 a.m., join millions who will practice what you should REALLY do during an earthquake: Drop, Cover, and Hold On! Find out how and register to participate at www.ShakeOut.org/Oregon. Oregon’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) urges everyone to be 2 Weeks Ready for earthquakes and other disasters. To that end, the agency has developed a series of lively one-minute videos, viewable on the OEM YouTube channel (http://bit.ly/2wxyE9C), to inform and educate the public. Andrew Phelps, OEM director, suggests that in addition to having two weeks’ of food, water and other supplies, take time to talk with your family and friends about what you will do when disaster strikes and if you’re not together during an emergency. Do family members know what to do and where to go? Is heavy furniture at home or equipment at work braced for safety? Do you know how to turn off your gas line? Is your preparedness kit accessible? How will you communicate with your loved ones after a major disaster? These are critical questions when planning for disasters such as earthquakes and go beyond having emergency items. Develop a family disaster plan, assign roles or duties for each family member, and do the same for people in your neighborhood. “During an emergency, we will need to count on each other,” says Phelps. “Be aware of what hazards or disasters can impact you and your family, have emergency supplies and know what to do 2 minutes, 2 hours, 2 days and 2 weeks after a disaster.” The 2 Weeks Ready campaign was launched by Oregon’s Office of Emergency Management in 2016 in conjunction with the Great ShakeOut. It aims to inspire citizens to be self-sufficient for two weeks in the aftermath of a major disaster. A series of brochures (http://bit.ly/2ktFjex), a Facebook page (http://bit.ly/2jUgHPx) and Twitter feed (@2WeeksReady) provide information, resources and assistance with disaster preparedness planning.
