4 A
❘
SATURDAY EDITION
❘ JULY 25, 2015
RYAN CRONK , EDITOR
Siuslaw News
B Y D AVE R OBINSON
Special to the Siuslaw News
T
he Internet has been all abuzz this
week about an article that appeared
in the July 20 issue of New Yorker
magazine. Written by Kathryn Schulz, the
article titled “The Really Big One” details
the geographical makeup of the Cascadia
Subduction Zone, located 60 miles off the
Oregon coast and dangers posed by this
seismic time-bomb. Most of us living in
southwestern Oregon are aware of the threat
of a huge earthquake cocked and loaded
and in final countdown and aimed directly
at our shores.
Schulz describes what would be a mas-
sive disaster like nothing our nation has
ever seen. She quotes Kenneth Murphy, our
regional FEMA director who states that,
“everything west of Interstate 5 will be
toast.” When pressed by an interviewer on
Fox News, he clarified his remark by say-
ing it was the infrastructure to which he
was referring. The highways, bridges, rail-
ways, power grid and telephone communi-
cations, both landline and cellular, would all
be taken out. “Toast!”
A couple more significant bits of infor-
mation: Those who remain in the area after
the event can expect to do without electrici-
Mega-Quake
ty from three to six months, one to three
years without pure drinking water or active
sewage systems and (get this) three years or
more without hospitals.
One big problem with off-shore earth-
quakes is that they generate tsunamis. I
have heard various predictions as to inunda-
tion zones and how high and how far the
water will reach. Schulz offers that depend-
ing on the varying contours of the ocean
floor, a tsunami can reach from 20 to 100
feet in height. Yikes!
You can find the entire article online with
a quick search. As I said, the article is in-
depth, well written, well researched and
very informative.
Here are some other resources I recom-
mend on the topic: “Cascadia’s Fault” by
Jerry Thompson, “Full Rip 9.0” by Sandi
Doughton and “Oregon’s Greatest Natural
Disasters” by William Sullivan. The final
chapter in Sullivan’s book is a fictional nar-
rative of what it would be like to have a
mega-quake strike the Oregon coast fol-
lowed by a tsunami. Just remember, the
time to prepare is now.
On another note, I just received my copy
of “Survival MD,” written by a family prac-
YESTERDAY’S NEWS
titioner, Dr. Radu Scurtu. The author is
obviously a prepper and well-versed in all
aspects of general medicine. The book is
presented in easy-to-understand language
and covers every conceivable health topic.
There are chapters on pregnancy, includ-
ing what to stockpile for a home birth.
Another chapter covers alternative medi-
cine, including yoga, herbal remedies, tai
chi and meditation. Yet another chapter
offers the basics on putting together a med-
ical kit, complete with what to include in
your bug-out bag.
This book is available on The Survivalist
Blog (and a couple of other similar web-
sites). If you’re lacking in medical knowl-
edge or just want a handy reference guide
for all things medical-in-disaster-mode, then
get this book. It is available in hard copy or
electronic download format. The hard copy
is $22 and well worth the price.
Dave Robinson is the postmaster in
Bandon, Ore., and author of “Disaster Prep
for the Rest of Us.” He may be contacted at
disasterprep.dave@gmail.com. Visit his
website for more disaster preparedness tips,
www.disasterprepdave.blogspot.com.
VIEW FROM UPRIVER
Finding a way for all to live
W ESLEY V OTH
For the Siuslaw News
A
s the season turns to mid-summer, bird-
song lessens as their avian chatter turns
more to irritation, alarm calls and down-
right screaming at one another; what should we
expect as family sizes swell, competition for
food increases and territorial boundaries blur?
Blackberries are ripening, but a lack of rain
makes them small, low in sugar content, and
dried out before they soften to palatability. And
it’s incredibly dry — a single spark around our
place could reduce us to cinders, as happened to
a house belonging to people we know on Duncan
Island this past week.
Our river and contributing creeks continue to
shrink into themselves. In places where much of
the stream bed has been scoured down to
bedrock like this section of the Siuslaw, this
leaves large areas of flat dry rock looking like
the bleached bones of the long dead. In places
where streams are less disturbed, grasses and
other forbs spring up in the soils trapped by roots
EDITOR @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
Opinion
P.O. Box 10
Florence, OR 97439
DISASTER PREP
❘ 541-902-3520 ❘
and various sized stones, hiding the
reduced flow while keeping the water
temperatures cooler, less susceptible to
evaporation and helping to provide cover
for the myriads of creatures concentrated
into its drastically reduced size. I have
been disappointed to see places where
people have weed-whacked some of
these areas to make getting into the water
or sunning easier; stream beds are not private
property and should be left alone. There are
plenty of places where there is bare rock for
water and waterside activities.
Less water higher up the ridges brings crea-
tures down to where people are concentrated,
and into irrigated farms and gardens and the var-
ious other human landscapes. This frequently
leads to conflict, with people often resorting to
lethal solutions. A bear was recently shot by a
resident in this area, something that resulted in
an investigation by authorities and reputedly
charges being filed. Some folks I talk to are sym-
pathetic with the resident, but more it seems to
me value living in an area where wildlife can
still be seen. I don’t know of any who intention-
ally lure bears as some did in the past, as this
practice seemed to nearly always turn out badly
for the bears in the end, becoming habituated to
and unafraid of us, the most deadly of all
species.
I would like to make a special plea for some
under-appreciated wildlife — the paper wasps,
yellow jackets, and bald-faced hornets whose
populations naturally rise at this time of year. It
is impossible to even look these up online with-
out being bombarded with advertising assuming
I only want to know so that I can figure out how
to destroy them “quickly, effectively and safely,”
and that doing so will bring me “peace of mind.”
I prefer this assessment, from the University
of Idaho Extension Agent publication: “All
instead should be considered beneficial pollina-
tors, [other insect] predators, and scavengers.” It
is usually possible to give these a wide berth, and
let them be. Adding yet more poison to our envi-
ronment kills other things as well.
So many of our actions have unintended con-
sequences. I was recently asked what natural
predators these might have, as sometimes one
sees their paper nests destroyed this time of year.
Although bears, raccoons, skunks and possums
are known to break these open and eat the larvae,
the ones I usually see broken were in places not
accessible to such large animals, and a more
likely explanation seems to be crows or ravens,
who are keen observers and may learn to target
these.
We have recently been seeing deer in our yard
during the day on a regular basis; neighbors who
have lived in Brickerville far longer say this is
new for our immediate vicinity. It has been nice
to see them, and we don’t begrudge them the
browse they find. Enjoy your summer; please
live, and let live, while doing so.
MOMENTS IN TIME
The History Channel
• On July 31, 1916, future racing legend
Louise Smith is born in Barnesville, Georgia.
In the mid-1940s, racing promoter Bill France
was looking for a female driver as a way to
attract spectators and recruited Smith, who was
famous for outrunning law enforcement on the
local roads.
• On Aug. 2, 1923, President Warren G.
Harding dies of a stroke. Harding, 58, was
returning from a presidential tour, a journey
some believed he had embarked on to escape
corruption rumors circulating in Washington.
• On July 30, 1945, the USS Indianapolis is
torpedoed by a Japanese submarine in the
Pacific and sinks within minutes in shark-
infested waters. Of the 1,196 men on board, an
estimated 900 made it into the water and just
317 survived to be rescued four days later.
• On July 29, 1958, Congress passes legisla-
tion establishing the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration. NASA was created in
response to the Soviet Union’s launch of the
first satellite, Sputnik I.
• On Aug. 1, 1961, the amusement park Six
Flags Over Texas opens. The park was the first
to feature a log flume and a 360-degree looping
roller coaster. A day at Six Flags cost $2.75 for
an adult.
• On July 28, 1978, “National Lampoon’s
Animal House,” a movie spoof about 1960s
college fraternities, starring John Belushi,
opens in U.S. theaters. “Animal House”
became a box-office hit and part of pop-culture
history.
• On July 27, 1981, Adam John Walsh, age
6, is abducted from a mall in Hollywood,
Florida, and later found murdered. In the after-
math of the crime, Adam’s father, John Walsh,
became a leading victims-rights activist and
host of the long-running TV show “America’s
Most Wanted.”
(c) 2015 King Features Synd., Inc.
L ETTERS TO THE
E DITOR P OLICY
The Siuslaw News welcomes letters to
the editor concerning issues affecting the
Florence area and Lane County.
Emailed letters are preferred. Handwritten
or typed letters must be signed. All letters
LETTER
Generous community
This past week we experienced
another display of gratitude and
compassion by the greater
Florence community to our dear
friend Liz Mobley, serving us
well as an expert travel specialist
for many years, and who now
suffers from an aggressive malig-
nant brain tumor.
The huge crowd, who loved
and appreciated her and came to
honor her, was so overwhelming
that they ran out of food during
the July 15 benefit at Little
should be limited to about 300 words and
must include the writer’s full name, address
Brown Hen Cafe.
Thanks to those who took the
lead in generating this event and
all the volunteers who prepared
and served the food, as well as
those providing the music. This
proves again that Florence is a
very special and generous place.
A.J. Brauer
Florence
and phone number for verification.
Letters are subject to editing for length,
grammar and clarity. Publication of any letter
is not guaranteed and depends on space
available and the volume of letters received.
Libelous and anonymous letters as well
as poetry will not be published.
All submissions become the property of
This letter was submitted before
Liz Mobley passed away earlier
this week. Siuslaw News would like
to express our sincere condolences
to her family and friends. —Editor
Siuslaw News and will not be returned.
Write to:
Editor@TheSiuslawNews.com
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Postmaster, send address changes to: Siuslaw News, P.O. Box 10, Florence, OR 97439; phone 541-997-3441; fax
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Pres. Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20500
Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461
TTY/TDD Comments: 202-456-6213
www.whitehouse.gov
Gov. Kate Brown
160 State Capitol
900 Court St.
Salem, OR 97301-4047
Governor’s Citizens’ Rep.
Message Line 503-378-4582
www.oregon.gov/gov
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden
221 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-5244
541-431-0229
www.wyden.senate.gov
FAX: 503-986-1080
Email:
Sen.ArnieRoblan@state.or.us
U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley
313 Hart Senate Office Bldg
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-3753/FAX: 202-228-3997
541-465-6750
State Rep. Caddy McKeown
(Dist. 9)
900 Court St. NE
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1409
Email:
rep.caddymckeown@state.or.us
U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio (4th Dist.)
2134 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-6416/ 800-944-9603
541-269-2609/ 541-465-6732
www.defazio.house.gov
State Sen. Arnie Roblan (Dist. 5)
900 Court St. NE - S-417
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1705
West Lane County Commissioner
Jay Bozievich
125 E. Eighth St.
Eugene, OR 97401
541-682-4203
FAX: 541-682-4616
Email:
Jay.Bozievich@co.lane.or.us