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Director's Message
Two events on this week’s calendar have me thinking about risk reduction. This Tuesday, Oct. 12, marks the 59th anniversary of the Columbus Day Storm of 1962. Billed as a once-in-a-century storm, it caught Oregonians off guard; impacts of that event uprooted trees, destroyed homes and took dozens of lives across the Pacific Northwest. In the years that have followed, we’ve witnessed many of these “once-in-a-century” disasters, including wildfires, drought, floods, ice storms and excessive heat events. These hazards, which are becoming more frequent as our climate changes, are indicators of what’s to come as we adapt to the symptoms of a changing planet.
The following day, Oct. 13, is acknowledged as International Natural Disaster Risk Reduction Day. Risk reduction is a focus of the work we do as emergency managers, through preparedness, education and hazard mitigation. But let’s start with the term “natural disasters.” We must recognize that while hazards may be natural, disasters are not. They’re a result of our policy decisions, investments we do or don’t make, and how and where we build. So, as we recognize International Natural Disaster Risk Reduction Day, let’s all find ways we can learn more about the hazards we face and work to help our families and our communities reduce their collective risk. A great way to start is to attend this week’s ShakeOut webinar on how to be prepared for earthquakes and tsunamis in Oregon; keep reading for details. Visit our website to learn more about preparedness and hazard mitigation resources.
Take care of yourselves, and take care of each other.
Andrew Phelps, Director, Oregon Office of Emergency Management
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The Great Oregon ShakeOut webinar
In advance of this year’s Great Oregon ShakeOut drill on Oct. 21 at 10:21 a.m., OEM is holding a public webinar on how to be prepared for earthquakes and tsunamis in Oregon. OEM’s Geologic Hazards Program Coordinator Althea Rizzo will host the Zoom webinar from 10:30-11:30 a.m. on Oct. 14 with A Spanish interpreter; it will be simultaneously aired live on OEM’s Facebook page and later shared on YouTube. Topics will include the types of earthquakes in Oregon; what to expect during a Cascadia subduction zone event; and what to do during an earthquake and tsunami. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session. Click the link below at the time of the webinar to view, and be sure to also join the more than 500,000 Oregonians who have registered to take part in this year’s Great Oregon ShakeOut.
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CISA releases Risk Mitigation Self-Assessment Tool
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has released its Insider Risk Mitigation Self-Assessment Tool, a fillable PDF that asks users key questions about their existing enterprise, focusing on the areas of program management, personnel and training, and data collection and analysis. The interactive PDF allows users to fill in their data and receive scores representing indicators that objectively evaluate their immunity to insider threat incidents. The response also includes guidance to interpret the numbers and provide suggested measures.
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Cascadia Rising 2022 update
Due to ongoing response and recovery efforts across Region 10, FEMA changed the structure of the Cascadia Rising 2022 national level exercise. The functional exercise will not be held in 2022. FEMA is proposing an alternate course of action. The state will evaluate the proposed exercise structure during the next few weeks to determine how to best support a statewide functional exercise at a different time. We want to thank everyone for their participation in planning this exercise throughout this extremely busy time. The impacts of COVID-19, wildfires, drought, heat, and other response and recovery activities left our communities exhausted and at capacity. Exercising still is an important step in preparedness, because it gives us the opportunity to test plans, policies and procedures to ensure effectiveness during a response. We know how much work our jurisdictions and agencies have contributed toward that effort, and that work will be vital for continuing our exercise planning efforts.
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Oregon Debris Management Task Force reflects and looks ahead
The September 2020 wildfires were the worst in state history, claiming nine lives, destroying more than 4,000 homes and businesses, and burning more than 1 million acres. Two-thirds of the homes lost were from the Almeda Fire in Southern Oregon. The Oregon Debris Management Task Force has cleared debris from 90% of impacted homes sites across the state in preparation for rebuilding. Behind every home site cleared are people’s lives and stories of resilience. A year after the fires, the task force has produced a video with community leaders, recovery specialists and Oregon Department of Transportation leadership reflecting on what was lost, what has been accomplished and what comes next for recovery.
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Accommodating People with Access and Functional Needs in Emergency Shelters
The Functional Assessment Service Team (FAST) concept in Peirce County, Washington, is designed to support people with access and functional needs so they can remain in a general population shelter during emergencies/disasters. FAST is presenting a virtual training from 1-3 p.m. on Oct. 21 to give an overview of the FAST concept and how trained FAST volunteers can operate shelters that support the whole community during emergencies/disasters. This training allows communities to learn how the program operates in Pierce County and see if it can be adapted for their own jurisdictions.
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Story Collection raises flood risk awareness
In an effort to raise flood risk awareness during the start of the rainy season, the Multnomah County Drainage District -- in coordination with FEMA Region 10 and with the help of individuals who have a connection to the Columbia Slough floodplain -- created a storytelling collection called Life Along the Columbia: Stories from Behind the Levees (English) or Historias De La Vida A Lo Largo Del Río Columbia (Spanish). The collection features eight stories from people who live, work and recreate within our levee system, told in a mixture of English and Spanish. MCDD hopes these stories will help the community better understand the watershed and its many benefits, while also illuminating the flood risk that remains and the work that MCDD is doing to prepare for future floods. Click the links below to listen to the stories.
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Imagine a Day Without Water Campaign
Imagine a Day Without Water is a national education and outreach campaign that highlights how water is essential, invaluable and in need of investment. Every day from Oct. 17-23, the Regional Water Providers Consortium will be sharing messages on social media using the theme, “where does my water come from?" to illustrate the key role water plays in all types of industries and processes. RWPC encourages agencies and jurisdictions to share their own Imagine a Day Without Water post on Oct. 21, or repost any of its messages using the campaign hashtag #ValueWater.
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COVID-19 Update
While the surge in COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations has leveled off, the Delta variant is still a threat. Both the booster dose and third dose will help protect those at greater risk of developing severe COVID-19. A booster dose is strongly recommended for people whose immunity may be fading six months after completing their second Pfizer vaccination and are 65 years and older, or ages 50-64 with underlying medical conditions. People ages 18-64, who either have underlying conditions or who are at risk of increased exposure or transmission because of where they work or live, also have the option of receiving a booster dose.
A third dose is for people who are immunocompromised and may not have built up adequate protective immunity with their first series of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. Immunocompromised people can receive their third dose at least 28 days after receiving their second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine (currently, there is no additional dose authorized for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine). The Oregon Health Authority emphasizes that all COVID-19 vaccines still provide very high protection against severe illness, including hospitalization and death.
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Federal Share of Disaster Funds Obligated to be Spent in Oregon
2020 Flooding: $2,010,130
2020 Wildfire: $231,467,264
COVID-19: $331,169,779
2021 Ice Storm: $457,183
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