Earthquakes to destroy all the western coast of the country expected in the USA

I came across this article this morning. It amazes me that people all around the world know it is going to happen and yet many here in Oregon are not prepared. Please - just a few items in a kit, a few minutes of your time for planning could make all the difference.


Baku, Fineko/abc.az. Mega-earthquakes which will in fact finish off with all the north-western coast of the country are expected in the USA.

Specialists of tectonic activity and underwater cartography lab of Oregon University report that a new 8 point magnitude earthquake can be expected in close proximity to the USA coasts. Large scale natural disaster will affect populated coast in the north-west of the USA stretching form Vancuver island to North California. Peak tremor will be followed by tsunami and a range of aftershocks to erase dozens of small cities near coastal zone from the earth.

The last large earthquake in this zone occurred over 300 years ago. As mega-earthquakes occur with frequency of one earthquake in every 240 years according to the scientists’ estimations tremors with 8 magnitude should be expected with a probability of 45% and 9 point magnitude earthquakes- with 15% probability.

Connection of two tectonic plates- North American and Juan de Fuka under the North America continent is a seismically dangerous subduction zone. Increase of pressure of these plates on each other recorded by Oregon University lab may result in a large-scale cataclysm.

" I have no doubt that power for forthcoming earthquake is being accumulated now " ,- Head of Research group professor Chris Goldfinger noted.The last mega-earthquake in west part of the Pacific ocean was recorded in Japan on 11 March. It also occurred in subduction zone. The earthquake aftershocks are still going on.

10 Most Destructive Tsunamis in Human History

http://www.criminaljusticeusa.com/blog/2011/10-most-destructive-tsunamis-in-human-history/

Tsunamis are one of Mother Nature’s worst nightmares. These powerful waves can move as fast as a jet airliner and are capable of destroying anything and everything in its path. The most devastating tsunamis have formed after massive earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and underwater explosions. Here are the 10 most destructive tsunamis in human history:

1.2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami: The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami was one of the deadliest and most destructive natural disasters in human history. The undersea megathrust earthquake struck the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, on Dec. 26, 2004. The earthquake had a magnitude of 9.1-9.3 and is the third largest recorded earthquake. After the powerful earthquake that was said to release the energy of 23,000 Hiroshima-type atomic bombs, a series of tsunamis followed. The 100-feet-high waves sped across the Indian Ocean and devastated 11 coastal countries, including Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand, killing more than 230,000 people.

2.1755 Lisbon Earthquake and Tsunami: The 1755 Lisbon earthquake and tsunami was a very destructive natural disaster. The Nov. 1, 1755, megathrust earthquake was centered in the Atlantic Ocean and severely damaged Lisbon, Portugal. Researchers suggest that the quake may have reached a magnitude of 9.0. A deadly tsunami immediately followed the earthquake, washing over the harbor and downtown area. The waves swept up people and debris into the sea, wrecked boats and destroyed homes and buildings. The devastating effects of the tsunami could be felt in most coastal towns throughout Spain, Portugal and North Africa. Approximately 10,000 people in Lisbon died during the natural disaster.

3.1868 Arica Tsunami: On Aug. 16, 1868, an 8.5-magnitude earthquake hit the Peru-Chile Trench off the southern coast of Peru, turning the city of Arica into rubble. Following the earthquake, a massive trans-Pacific tsunami formed and came crashing into Arica. The tsunami’s 90-foot waves hit two American ships, killing all but two crewmembers. The port of Arica was also wiped out by the tsunami by knocking down buildings and homes and causing an estimated 25,000 casualties. In total, the tsunami caused about $300 million in damage, and took the lives of 70,000 in South America.

4.1908 Messina Earthquake and Tsunami: On Dec. 28, 1908, a 7.5-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Messina, Italy, caused a deadly tsunami to form. Moments later, 40-foot waves came crashing into Messina and other coastal towns. There was no warning about the tsunami and the town was extremely underprepared. The earthquake and the tsunami destroyed almost all of the buildings in Messina, and may have killed as many as 200,000 people, which significantly reduced the city’s population.

5.2011 Sendai Earthquake and Tsunami: The Sendai megathrust earthquake recently hit the Pacific Ocean near Northeastern Japan on March 11, 2011. The massive earthquake had a magnitude of 8.9-9.0, which triggered powerful tsunamis around the Pacific Ocean. Within minutes after the quake, 33-foot high waves came ashore along Japan’s coast, damaging roads, railways and causing a dam to collapse. Two nuclear reactors partially melted down, prompting additional evacuations within the Fukushima Prefecture. As of today, the National Police Agency has confirmed 2,414 casualties, but thousands are still missing and the death toll is predicted to increase as more bodies are found.

6.1960 Hilo Tsunami: On May 23, 1960, Hilo, Hawaii, was hit by a powerful tsunami that destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses downtown and killed 61 people. The tsunami was caused by an 8.25-8.5-magnitude earthquake off the west coast of South America. About 15 hours later, the 35-foot waves crashed into Hilo Bay and some parts of the island. The tsunami consisted of eight separate waves that ranged from 4 to 14 feet above sea level. The damages reached an upwards of $75 million.

7.1896 Honshu Tsunami: On June 16, 1896, a deadly tsunami hit Honshu, Japan, after a 7.6-magnitude earthquake took place at the underwater fault and caused a serious displacement of water. People in Kamaishi and along the Sanriku coast of Honshu felt the quake that happened 120 miles away, but many of them ignored it. Less than 30 minutes later, 115-foot waves came crashing into the town and destroyed many coastal villages. Nearly 27,000 people were killed by the tsunami that day.

8.1498 Meio Nankaido Earthquake and Tsunami: On Sept. 20, 1498, an 8.6-magnitude earthquake occurred near the Nankai Trough, which runs parallel to the southern coast of Honshu, and triggered a powerful tsunami that hit the coast of Meio Nankai, Japan. The 56-foot-high waves came ashore and killed an estimated 31,000 people.

9.1946 Aleutian Tsunami: On April 1, 1946, a 7.4-magnitude earthquake near the Aleutian Trench in Alaska caused a large section of the seafloor to lift up along the fault and generate a Pacific-wide tsunami. After the earthquake, 100-foot waves came crashing into the U.S. Coast Guard’s lighthouse on Scotch Cap, located on Unimak Island, and destroyed the building, killing all five occupants. The Alaskan mainland was shielded by the Aleutian Islands, but the shorelines of the Hawaii Islands weren’t as lucky. The tsunami destroyed Hilo’s entire waterfront and flooded about half a mile of city, killing 159 people.

10.1883 Krakatoa Tsunami: On Aug. 27, 1883, the volcanic island of Krakatoa in the Sunda Strait erupted. After multiple eruptions, the walls of the volcano began to open and sea water poured into the magma chamber, which resulted in a catastrophic explosion that destroyed two-thirds of the island. A deadly series of tsunamis followed the explosion, sending 90-foot-high waves ashore in Indonesia, India and surrounding islands. The powerful tsunami wiped out several coastal settlements and killed more than 36,000 people.

What FEMA Is Doing For Children

FEMA's Children's Working Group (CWG) was established by Administrator Fugate in August 2009, and is responsible for leading FEMA's efforts, in partnership with other Federal agencies, to ensure that the needs of children are considered and integrated into all disaster planning, preparedness, response and recovery efforts initiated at the Federal level. Read about the CWG’s accomplishments and view available resources and news here: http://www.fema.gov/about/cwg.shtm. We encourage you to sign up on the link at the top of the page to stay up to date on what FEMA is doing for children. NEW! FEMA has released a new resource for Youth Preparedness, the Catalogue of Youth Disaster Preparedness Education Resources created to assist individuals and organizations with locating preparedness resources that are tailored to children and youth.

10 Tips for Preparing for Home Ownership - Good information for Doorfly.com

Posted on March 10, 2011 by admin http://blog.doorfly.com/articles/2011/10-tips-for-preparing-for-home-ownership/ When someone is moving into their own home for the first time, they may not realize all of the new issues that they will have to deal with that were not a part of their life prior to owning a home. 1.Shopping for insurance. Home insurance is one of the first things they will need to deal with, as it will be required prior to closing on the home. As with any insurance, no two policies are alike. Some comparisons should be made between different types of coverage as well as the price. Some insurance policies cover the cost to actually replace a dwelling and the contents, while others only pay a set amount, regardless of the replacement costs on items. 2.Lawn maintenance. This is usually something that people have not had to deal with if they didn’t own their home previously. If you plan to do your own lawn maintenance, then you will need to purchase a lawn mower and perhaps a weed trimmer. You will also want to have a rake, shovel and watering hose available. If you plan to hire someone else to take care of your lawn maintenance, then you will want to check into the different companies that provide those services in your area. 3.Utilities. It will be important for a new homeowner to know which companies provide the utilities to their home and contact them to setup their accounts. Trash pickup is one of those utility services that is often overlooked prior to move in. 4.Get to know the neighborhood. Taking some walks and drives around the neighborhood can be a good way to familiarize yourself with where things are and who lives where. Take note of where the nearest convenience store is located and where the nearest mailbox drop can be found. Find out who your neighbors are, if you can. They can tell you a lot, like where the best parks are and the quickest route to the grocery store. 5.Winter needs. If you live in an area that gets snow, you will also need to prepare for snow remo val from your sidewalks, driveway and possibly your roof. A good strong snow shovel will be your minimum need, but you may want to look into the purchase of a snowblower as well. 6.Recommendations for repairmen. If you own a home, eventually you will need to call on repairmen to deal with things like a furnace that doesn’t work, plumbing issues or appliance repairs. Rather than looking through the phonebook when that time comes, it is a good idea to get the names of repair services that other homeowners have used and would recommend. That way you will have someone reputable to call on when the need arises. 7.Security. If you were previously living in a secure apartment building, homeownership comes with a different level of security. You are now responsible for how much security you need for your home and how you want to provide that. To start with, you will want to make sure that all your entrance doors lock securely and have deadbolts installed. If you want a further level of security, you may want to check into purchasing a monitored security system. 8.Tools. Every homeowner needs to have some basic tools around the home for simple repairs. A hammer, pliers, various screwdrivers, an adjustable wrench, a utility knife and a measuring tape are a good list to start with. You may also want to add a shop vac and a power drill to the list. 9.Extra finish items. If this is your very first home of any type, there will be several small items that you may need to purchase before you move out on your own. Shower curtains and window blinds may be needed. A rug or entry mat at the front door, would be a good idea. You may need to purchase waste receptacles, a vacuum cleaner and a broom as well. 10.Budgeting. Carefully budgeting for the new expenses involved with home ownership is very important. You will want to include fluctuations in your utility bills and funds for miscellaneous repairs and improvements in your budget. There can be many other expenses involved with home ownership than just the mortgage payment, insurance and taxes. A little thinking ahead will keep the move into your new home, not only smooth, but exciting as well. Your first home, should and can be, a great experience.

SUBJECT: DROP, COVER and HOLD EARTHQUAKE SAFETY MEASURE Triangle of Life

There have been recent inquiries to Oregon Emergency Management regarding an article circulating on email promoting the “Triangle of Life” protective measure during earthquakes rather than using the Drop, Cover and Hold procedure recommended in Oregon and throughout the United States. While the advice in the “Triangle of Life,” article is well intentioned; its prescribed actions are gleaned only from worst-case accounts from collapsed buildings outside of the United States. Because buildings in the United States are built to stricter codes and enforcement standards than those in other countries, including Mexico, and Turkey, collapses from earthquakes in the U.S. are rare. Structural analysis and behavioral studies confirm that the use of Drop, Cover and Hold reduces the likelihood of serious injury, since most earthquake injuries are a result of falling nonstructural elements (lighting fixtures, ceiling tiles, windows) and contents (appliances, shelves, office equipment). Post-earthquake investigations in recent California earthquakes have shown that most injuries occurred when building occupants attempted to exit buildings or move to a different location in the building. Drop, Cover and Hold is the earthquake safety procedure recommended by Oregon Emergency Management, the Oregon Seismic Safety Policy Advisory Commission, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the US Geological Survey, and the American Red Cross. Recent scientific research has found that Oregon will experience future earthquakes. Ultimately, Oregon residents should evaluate the earthquake readiness of their homes and work places and take appropriate steps to reduce their risk from structural and nonstructural building components. More information can be found at this link. < http://www.bpaonline.org/Emergencyprep/arc-on-doug-copp.html>.

Is Oregon Prepared for an Earthquake and Tsunami?

My thoughts on Oregon's preparedness.

We have an opportunity for a week or two. Following a disaster, people are very interesting in preparedness - for about a month - then the old apathy sets in again. Don't forget the lessons we learned from the distant Earthquake in Japan and the following tsunami.

We learned that even here, small, powerful waves can wash you out to sea. Many learned that they were not prepared to evacuate and it was a good thing we had the time to gather things together.

There are many stories and viewpoints out there about whether or not Oregon is ready for a Cascadia Subduction Zone Earthquake off our own coast, and the resulting Tsunami. We are not fully prepared.

I don't believe we could ever be prepared enough for such a catastrophy and there will not be time to do anything but run to higher ground.

I read today that people expect sirens to sound. If we have a 9.0 Earthquake, sirens may or may not sound depending on damage. The Earthquake IS your warning. If you feel the earth move - run, don't drive, don't walk, run to higher ground. DO NOT go to the beach.

What else can we do to prepare ourselves?

Here is my personal check list:

Have an emergency kit at home AND in my car so that I can take care of myself for a few days if I have to. (with a coat - it is the coast after all)

Have a family plan - where will we meet when things settle down?

Have extra supplies and carrying cases for my pets - they will go with me.

Know the tsunami evacuation routes.

Know my neighbors and those that may need extra assistance. Know who the tourists are so that I can give them instructions also.

We may not be structurally ready for this disaster, but we can at least spend a few minutes on becoming personally prepared.

First responders will have enough to do. Don't make them respond to you if possible.



Thanks for being prepared.