Shakeout Day in Oregon, Oct. 20

Earthquake safety is a priority for many places around the world, including Oregon — a state that has seen its share of minor tremors and that is at-risk for a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake. This is why Oregon’s Office of Emergency Management supports the Great ShakeOut, a national earthquake safety drill. Each year on the third Thursday in October, people are urged to “drop, cover and hold on” to practice what to do when seismic activity occurs. The 2016 ShakeOut takes place at 10:20 a.m. on October 20. Registration is open at www.shakeout.org/oregon. Last year, more than 500,000 Oregonians participated in the Great Oregon ShakeOut. Governor Kate Brown has issued a proclamation encouraging participation in the ShakeOut that also urges Oregonians to be 2 Weeks Ready. The 2 Weeks Ready campaign is being launched by the Oregon Office of Emergency Management in conjunction with this year’s Great Shakeout. It aims to inspire citizens to be self-sufficient for two weeks in the aftermath of a natural disaster such as a Cascadia earthquake. “In addition to helping to ensure everyone is safe, 2 Weeks Ready lessens the strain on emergency responders who will need to focus limited resources on the injured and other vulnerable populations immediately following a disaster,” said Andrew Phelps, the director of Oregon Office of Emergency Management. “The events in Tohoku, Japan in 2011 brought new awareness to the reality of what could happen in Oregon in the aftermath of a high-magnitude quake and tsunami. We know the risk is there and this makes our job of spreading the message of preparedness that much more important,” he said. A new 2 Weeks Ready Facebook page has been created (www.facebook/2WeeksReady.com) and each week OEM will suggest a preparedness activity or item to include in your preparedness kit. Tips and tools will be available, and community members are encouraged to contribute comments and share their progress. A series of “2 Weeks Ready” brochures and short videos will be released in the coming months. “2 Weeks Ready is not just having enough food and water to keep you going for a period of time. It’s thinking about and planning for the ability to bounce back after a disaster,” said Phelps.