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Community News
POTTER’S TIRE
& AUTOMOTIVE
4515 Hwy. 101 N., Florence
541- 997-5049
Paul & Kelly Potter, Owners
C HANNEL
EARTHQUAKE CONCERNS
INTO ACTION , SAY EXPERTS
CORVALLIS — A national
news article suggesting that
everything in Oregon west of
Interstate-5 “would be toast” in
a major Cascadia Subduction
Zone earthquake certainly
drew attention to the seismic
reality facing the Pacific
Northwest.
The concern, though, is that
people are focusing on the
most draconian or extreme sce-
narios, experts say, which can
lead to a sense of fatalism.
The reaction illustrates the
state of earthquake and tsuna-
mi preparedness — or lack
thereof — in the United States,
said Patrick Corcoran, a Sea
Grant education and outreach
specialist at Oregon State
University who works with
coastal communities on disas-
ter preparedness.
It’s a matter of feast or
famine.
“The Cascadia Subduction
Zone has shifted from a sci-
ence project to a social studies
project,” Corcoran said. “We
need to find a sweet spot
between fear and action. What
I try to do is temper the ten-
dency of people to toggle
between the poles of ‘it won’t
happen here’ and ‘it will be so
bad that there’s no use worry-
ing about it.’”
Oregon has been taking
some of the first serious steps
toward earthquake mitigation,
said Scott Ashford, dean of
OSU’s College of Engineering
and chair of governor-appoint-
ed task force on preparation.
Recent legislation has result-
ed in a large increase in fund-
ing for K-12 and emergency
facility seismic retro-fitting, as
well as the creation of a new
position — the state’s first
Chief Resilience Officer.
Oregon is also working on
some of the first tsunami build-
ing codes, which likely will be
implemented over the next few
years.
Oregon State University sci-
entists have been warning
Pacific Northwest citizens for
more than a quarter of a centu-
ry about the potential of a
major earthquake in the
Cascadia Subduction Zone.
The subduction of a tectonic
plate beneath North America
has the potential to trigger an
earthquake ranging from mag-
nitude 8.0, as happened in
Chile in 2010, to 9.0 (or
greater), which took place in
Japan in 2011.
Scientists believe that a
magnitude 9.0-plus earth-
quake, which Corcoran calls
“the largest of the large,”
would likely trigger a tsunami
that could devastate coastal
communities, while the earth-
quake could destroy infrastruc-
ture
throughout
western
Oregon and Washington,
including roads, bridges, water
and sewer lines, and the power
grid.
However, he added, the
more probable scenario is an
earthquake on “the average
side of large,” where the dam-
age is less. The best response
isn’t necessarily to flee the
region, Corcoran said, but to
become pro-active in preparing
for a disaster.
As residents in Japan, Nepal,
Chile and other countries have
done, Northwesterners need to
learn to live with the realistic
threat of an earthquake and
tsunami — not ignore the
threat and hope they don’t hap-
pen.
The best approach, Corcoran
says, is to prepare for the “most
likely next event” — and that
doesn’t necessarily mean the
destruction of western Oregon
as we know it.
“We don’t insist on the
worst-case scenario with driv-
ing vehicles,” Corcoran said.
“We don’t have a zero-toler-
ance for car fatalities. We try to
do our best to identify and mit-
igate the risks, but we assume a
great deal of risk. We don’t
require that all cars be able to
hit a brick wall at 100 miles per
hour and have passengers
unharmed. That’s impractical.
“We need to consider a sim-
ilar approach with earth-
quakes.”
Chris Goldfinger, a profes-
sor in OSU’s College of Earth,
Ocean
and Atmospheric
Sciences, and a leading expert
on the Cascadia Subduction
Zone, estimates that the
chances of a major earthquake
off the coast from northern
California to just south of
Astoria are about 24 percent in
the next 50 years.
“South of Cape Blanco,
Ore., the chances increase to
about 37 percent,” he added.
Goldfinger said the furor in
news reports and on social
media about western Oregon
becoming “toast” have been
misconstrued.
The Federal Emergency
Management Agency has to
prepare for a worst-case sce-
nario as the starting point for
its planning, he said, but that
doesn’t mean that experts think
western Oregon will be
destroyed.
So, how big will the next
Northwest earthquake be? No
one knows.
Paul Potter
Owner
Our goal is not only to provide you with quality automotive repair
and services, but to make your visit as convenient and as comfort-
able as possible.
We offer complete automotive service and repair including: rou-
tine factory maintenance, brakes, clutches, alignments, tune-ups,
exhaust, electrical repair, air conditioning service, computer-
ized diagnostic repair, tires and custom wheels.
Your complete automotive needs are met right here!
✔
Remember When....
✔ You were treated with respect?
✔ You received personal treatment?
✔ Salespeople were interested in helping you?
✔ Your project was given the attention it deserves, whether it was a
quart of paint to match your dog’s fur or a brand new kitchen?
✔ People were nice and maybe even fun?
✔ Salespeople were knowledgeable?
✔ They took the time to explain things to you?
Orygon Home Center
Ken, Dorrit, Dan and James
will remind you what it was like!
You don’t have to sacrifi ce good service (or good manners) for good prices
1130 Quince Street • Florence, Oregon 97439 • 541-997-1745
Open 8:00 - 4:00 weekdays, weekends or aft er hours by appointment.
CCB# 38032
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FLORENCE RV AND AUTOMOTIVE
4390 Highway 101 North, Florence
541-902-0741
Licensed
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Insured
(541) 997-6977
(541) 999-0896
P.O. Box 31,000
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P.O. Box 31,000 • Florence, OR 97439
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