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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 10, 2016)
Wednesday, February 10, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Sisters Country preparing for the big one By Jim Cornelius News Editor What can local citizens do to be prepared for a major emergency such as a cata- strophic mega earthquake? First, recognize the vul- nerabilities. In a “full-rip” Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake, there is likely to be significant damage to the state’s major fuel depot in the St. Johns area of Portland. And re-routing fuel sup- plies, which are contracted for, won’t be a quick or easy proposition. And in a major region-wide emergency, fuel will be allocated first to emer- gency responders. “Whatever you have in your tank when it happens is what you’re gonna have,” says Jack McGowan, a local preparedness advocate. Ideally, you’d have some form of fuel storage for, say 100 gallons. But hardly any- body can realistically do that. So, the best practice is simply to fill your tank — and don’t let it get below half-empty. That way you’ve always got at least some fuel on hand. A couple of safely stored five-gallon gas cans are a good idea, too — treated so that the fuel doesn’t go bad. Drop the gas into your tank every few months and get a fresh supply in the cans. Water is critical to life. Experts recommend storing at least one gallon of water per person for three days for drinking, cooking and sanita- tion. (www.ready.gov/water). That’s a lot of water in an emergency that lasts for sev- eral days or weeks. Putting up a few flats of commercial bottled water is a good idea, as is filling several camping containers. It’s also a very good idea to have a good water purification device in case you are caught some- where away from your water supply. It’s always a good idea to carry one in your hik- ing pack or your emergency car kit anyway. The grocery supply net- work is likely to be severely disrupted in a major earth- quake scenario. Most emer- gency plans call for food supplies for 72 hours — but for an event like a Cascadia quake, you need to be pre- pared for much longer: Three weeks to a month. Having a stock of canned food is fine — but you have to cycle through it. McGowan recommends purchas- ing a couple of containers of freeze-dried food from Costco. “They’re not as expensive as you might think,” he said. The food stores well and has a 20-year shelf life. Surplus stores carry sup- plies of MRE (Meals Ready to Eat) and you can find tasty freeze-dried backpacking food at stores that cater to out- door enthusiasts. Don’t count on the ability to refrigerate food. And don’t forget that your pets will need to eat, too — so you need to lay in a backup supply of their food as well. You’ll also need to have the means to cook. Camping stoves are convenient, easy to use and effective. It’s a very good idea to have an emergency backup for vital medications. Just like the food chain, the supply chain for pharmacies is likely to be disrupted. Having an alternative source of heat is important if you heat primarily with electricity. A portable gas- powered generator is fine for a while — but in a scenario where fuel supplies are short for an extended period of time, that may not help you. A wood stove requires nothing but some muscle to create the fuel. Get a Red Cross solar/ crank radio so you won’t be completely out of touch on vital announcements/news if the communication net goes down for an extended period. For some folks, there is an innate, perhaps subconscious, resistance to spending money and effort preparing for something that may never happen. For some folks, there is an innate, perhaps subconscious, resistance to spending money and effort preparing for some- thing that may never happen. But preparing for “The Big One” also leaves you in great shape to handle smaller emer- gencies, from winter power outages to a financial crunch that forces you to tap some emergency supplies. And, for the well-pre- pared, the confidence that you are ready for anything and in a position to help your family, friends, and neighbors, offers tremendous peace of mind. 31 SCIENCE FAIR: Event set for February 20 at Sisters High School Continued from page 3 science of our earth and sky. The Sisters High School Planetarium will be set up to give you a perspective on our beautiful night skies. Science and art are two disciplines that always go hand-in-hand. The Sisters Science Fair Sci-Art Contest is open to all students living in the Sisters School District. Photo images using a .jpg format should be submitted by February 12. The contest photo entry form and rules are available on the Sisters Science Club website at www. sistersscienceclub.com. The highlight of the sci- ence fair is always the Design, Construct and Compete (DCC) contest. A mousetrap car competition is sure to enthrall and excite the cheering audience. This year the mousetrap car has to be built such that it can run in a curved path that will change as the competition advances. The competition begins at 2:30 p.m. in the high school gym. Cash prizes make this event a fierce competition. Rules can be found on the Sisters Science Club website. Where client service comes first! 290 E. Cascade Ave., Sisters e! New Pric Mon-Fri, 9 am-5 pm | Sat 10 am-4 pm 541-588-6614 | Fax: 541-549-6339 www.metoliuspropertysales.com ! Just Listed SISTERS 1664 W. Aitken ! Just Listed Ave. 3-bedroom, 1654 W. Aitken Ave. 3-bedroom, 17031 Wilt Rd., Sisters 2-bath home on cor- ner lot in Village at Cold Springs. Single level with open fl oor plan, patio, double garage. 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