State has Awareness Campaign, Jan. 26

The last big Cascadia quake was 316 years ago: Are you prepared for the next one? The Pacific Northwest was hit hard by the January 26, 1700 Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake and tsunami, which had impacts as far away as Japan. Geological evidence indicates that similar great earthquakes have occurred at least seven times in the past 3,500 years, reoccurring on average every 300 to 600 years. The next major Cascadia earthquake could strike the Pacific Northwest at any time. We encourage Pacific Northwest residents to learn about seismic hazards and increase their earthquake readiness before the next “Big One.” WHAT: Federal and state emergency managers will join regional universities and government science agencies to host a weeklong social media campaign for the 316th anniversary of the 1700 Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake and tsunami. The campaign will include an anniversary Twitter chat on Tuesday, January 26 starting at 10 a.m. PST, and other events throughout the week using #CascadiaEQ. WHO: Cascadia Region Earthquake Workgroup (CREW); Emergency Management British Columbia (EMBC); Federal Emergency Management Agency Region X (FEMA); Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI); Oregon Office of Emergency Management (OEM); National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); Pacific Northwest Seismic Network (PNSN); Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC); U.S. Geological Survey (USGS); Washington Military Department’s Emergency Management Division (WaEMD); WHEN: Monday, January 25 to Friday, January 29, 2016; WHERE: Facebook and Twitter; WHY: During the anniversary week, we will use Facebook and Twitter social platforms to share information on Cascadia Region earthquakes and how to prepare for the next big one. The messages are intended to point audiences towards local, state, and federal resources that will help them understand and prepare for future earthquakes.