Oregonians: disasters don't give notice; plan ahead and be prepared

I often say, “Disasters happen." It’s not a matter of if, but when.

From the potential Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake, to snow and ice, floods or droughts – there are many types of disasters we can encounter at almost any time.

Help is sometimes days away as anyone watching the coverage of Hurricane Michael can attest to.

The Great Oregon ShakeOut at 10:18 a.m on Oct. 18. is a good time for Marion County residents, businesses and all Mid-Valley residents to test their emergency plans. And we mean more than hunkering under your desk for a few minutes.

We have been reminded of the power and devastation of Mother Nature as hurricanes hit the East Coast within the last month. While hurricanes are not common in the northwest, as Oregonians we know it is essential to plan for all types of winter weather.

Many remember the destruction of the 1962 Columbus Day storm and the 1996 winter floods. In Marion County, we’ve seen significant snow and ice, flooding, and even an EF2 tornado in Aumsville.

Preparing for winter storms is a good start in preparing for catastrophic weather conditions and other emergencies. Personal preparedness is essential. Every community, every neighborhood, and every family must be ready for a period of self-sufficiency.

Here are some simple steps you can take to prepare:

Make a plan: Plan on how you’re going to evacuate your house if necessary; drop, cover and hold if there is an earthquake; gather supplies in case of evacuation; and plan where you will go and how you will communicate with your family if displaced from your home.

Get a kit: Families are encouraged to have enough emergency supplies for a minimum of two weeks. In fact, we emergency preparedness professionals recommend having three emergency kits – a 72-hour go bag, a 7-day work kit, and a home kit with the suggested two weeks of supplies for each household member. Recommended kit items include water, food, medicine, first aid supplies, flashlight, radio, and more.

Stay informed: Be mindful of the hazards that could affect our area. Stay tuned to news, radio, and social media for emergency notifications from local officials. Marion County posts active alerts on our website at www.co.marion.or.us/Alerts.

The most important thing you can do is be aware of the possibilities and don’t take any unnecessary risks. Emergency preparedness doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does require some advance thought and action on your part. For many, a 72-hour go kit is a good place to start.

Luckily, there are a lot of resources to help you prepare. Oregon Emergency Management has information on disaster risks, an emergency kit checklist, the informative “Living on Shaky Ground” booklet, and numerous other publications you can download for free (https://www.oregon.gov/oem/hazardsprep/Pages/Individual-Preparedness.aspx).

And please, get to know your neighbors; we are all in this together. Remember, disasters don’t plan ahead – but you can!

Ed Flick is Marion County’s Emergency Manager. He can be reached at (503) 365-3133 or eflick@co.marion.or.us.