Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Seaside signal. (Seaside, Or.) 1905-current | View Entire Issue (May 27, 2016)
May 27, 2016 • Seaside Signal • seasidesignal.com • 3A Police, ire crews ‘may not be able to respond’ after Cascadia Emergency preparedness forum to stress self-suiciency The ire department will be in the same situation: “I don’t think it’s realistic to think that we would be driving ire trucks around town trying to help people,” Ames said. By Erick Bengel Self-suficiency EO Media Group Immediately after a Cas- cadia Subduction Zone earth- quake, emergency responders, including Seaside’s, will like- ly be as paralyzed as everyone else. “The city may not be able to respond at all,” Astoria City Councilor Drew Herzig said. Residents and visitors un- lucky enough to be on the North Coast when the “big one” hits should plan to take care of themselves, he said. “We’re not trying to terrify people, but we’re trying to be honest with them about what they can expect from city ser- vices,” Herzig said. “And the reality of our situation with a Cascadia event is that there’s going to be very little service left.” Later this month, a panel of four experts — Althea Riz- zo, geologic hazards program manager at Oregon Emer- gency Management; Tyree Wilde, warning coordination meteorologist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad- ministration; Patrick Corcor- an, coastal natural hazards specialist with Oregon State University; and Neal Bond, protection unity forester at the Oregon Department of Forest- ry — will speak at the Liberty Theater on Astoria and Clat- sop County’s state of disaster readiness. The Community Emer- gency Preparedness Forum on May 31 will cover a range of natural disasters facing the North Coast, from winter storms to wildland ires to a catastrophic earthquake and tsunami. A short question-and-an- swer session will follow each JOSHUA BESSEX/EO MEDIA GROUP Members of the Coast Guard including Skip Dronen, center, and Dave Bartram, center back, jog to Fort Clatsop Historical Park as part of a tsunami drill in January. In the event of a large earthquake and tsunami, Guardsmen near the airport would have 20 minutes to make it to the higher ground at the park. presentation, and a longer di- alogue will take place at the end. Tables with resources and emergency preparedness gear will be set up in the lob- by. The goal is partly to make citizens aware of the city and county’s plans and resources to confront disasters. But the forum will also drive home an unpleasant truth: In the irst few days post-Cascadia, sur- vivors may be on their own. “Even though it may be tough to take in, it’s some- thing we need to start facing up to. Knowledge is power, particularly in something like this,” Herzig said. “It’s going to happen, we just don’t know when. So the more we can prepare for it, the better.” Devastating to infrastructure Astoria does not face the same tsunami threat as Sea- side and Cannon Beach be- cause the city is several miles upriver from the coast, al- though it still faces signiicant waterfront inundation from rising sea levels, Astoria Fire Chief Ted Ames said. The primary threat is the earthquake itself. “If we were to face a seismic event, like … the 9-point-something-magnitude earthquake off the coast — that nearshore event — we know that it will be devastat- ing to infrastructure,” Astoria Police Chief Brad Johnston said. Bridges will fail. Buildings will fall. Large swaths of earth will liquefy and produce land- slides. City roads and streets — crushed, collapsed or cov- ered in debris — will be im- passable. Even with the best of in- tentions and most profession- al of forces, Astoria police and ire departments will have severely diminished — per- haps nonexistent — rescue capabilities after a megaquake and tsunami. “If we have that scale of an event, you will not see irst responders rolling up in their patrol cars. It’s not going to be possible,” Johnston said. “When you think about As- toria and the geography and the nature of the roadways, there’s a good chance it’s go- ing to be very dificult to get places (with) things other than horses, mountain bikes, dirt bikes, ATVs and those kinds of things.” “I can’t sit here as ire chief and tell you exactly what’s go- ing to happen, ‘cause I don’t have a clue,” Ames said. “I just don’t think that it’s a real great outlook when we think about a major event. “I’m probably scaring the hell out of people, but that’s the way it is,” he added. Corcoran said that, as soon as high-magnitude earth- quakes occur, power lines fall and arc, and gas and water lines break. “So now you’ve got gas ires starting all over the place and no water to put them out,” he said. “People’s cur- rent sense of, ‘Well, when my house is on ire, the entire ire department comes to help me,’ is wrong.” Johnston advises citizens to prepare themselves, men- tally and materially, such that they could survive without irst responders and even help their neighbors. “It’s really important for people to have that ability to care for themselves in those initial hours because it’s going to be tough,” he said, adding that emergency management specialists now tell people to plan for a period of self-sufi- ciency lasting at least 14 days. “It will be some time before government is able to re-es- tablish that infrastructure, and the people are going to have to be prepared for that.” “Professionals don’t like to say — especially cops and iremen — that they’re not going to be there for you,” Corcoran observed. “So, when they’re telling us that they’re not going to be there for us, I think you really need to pay attention to that.” City recognizes contributions of ‘amazing’ response downtown Seaside. In the aftermath, the Ore- gon Fallen Badge Foundation partnered with the Seaside Police Department to pro- vide backup and logistical By R.J. Marx support for the memorial ser- Seaside Signal vice, attended by more than a thousand visitors, many of Seaside Police Chief Dave them law enforcement and Ham requested a $5,000 dona- irst responders from around tion from the city to the Ore- the country and Canada. The gon Fallen Badge Foundation foundation served as point of for their response in the after- contact for volunteers, honor math of the February guard and city ofi- shooting death of Sgt. cials. Jason Goodding. The “By the time we City Council respond- got to the funeral, they ed by doubling it. literally were running “This is some- the entire town,” City thing they do from the Manager Mark Win- heart,” City Manag- DAVE HAM stanley said. “They er Mark Winstanley came in and they said. “We think it would be handled anything and every- appropriate at this point to thing that needed to be done in make some kind of gesture Seaside so all of the people in back. There’s no way to put a Seaside were able to go ahead price on that gesture.” and participate in the memo- Ham’s request began with rial.” a May letter to Winstanley in The donation will be which he extolled the founda- drawn as a contingency item tion’s volunteers for their ex- from the city’s general fund, pertise in planning and coor- Winstanley said. dinating the memorial service “They did so much for us,” for Goodding at the Seaside Councilor Tita Montero said. Civic and Convention Center “I think $5,000 is a drop in the in February. bucket.” Council President Don “The resources that the Oregon Fallen Badge Foun- Johnson suggested a $10,000 dation provided to Seaside on gift, a igure unanimously en- such short notice, and to the dorsed by Mayor Don Larson extent that they did, can only and councilors. Funds could be used for be described by me as amaz- the foundation’s operating ing,” the police chief wrote. Ham suggested a dona- costs, lodging or travel, Ham tion of $5,000 or more to the said after the meeting, as well foundation, an amount “not as support for spouses and enough to properly express families of fallen oficers. Goodding is survived by our gratitude for the support they have given to our com- his wife, Amy, and two daugh- munity, but any donation ters. “They’re just a great orga- amount will send the message that they are appreciated and nization,” Ham said. “They we thank them for their ser- are dedicated. They’re deserv- ing of funds from the city and vice.” Goodding, 39, died after anyone else who wants to do- being shot serving a warrant nate. For them (City Council) on convicted felon Phillip to make that donation is ex- Max Ferry on Broadway in ceptional and very pleasing. ” Seaside gives $10,000 to Fallen Badge Foundation SELLER SAYS NEGOTIABLE! $ 360,000 37418 Hwy 26, Seaside Th is 3,387 sq ft country home has plenty of room for entertaining, with a huge kitchen, living room and formal living room at the center of the house. Th e four bedrooms frame the house so all family members have their own space to hear the birds singing, the river fl owing and watching the deer and elk. Acreage allows plenty of room to fi sh, hunt, hike and enjoy nature. Out of the tsunami zone and 20 minutes from Seaside. mls# 15-1670 Robin Risley CRS, GRI Principal Broker 503.738.2888 robin@robinrisley.com 130 N Hemlock Ste 1 Cannon Beach 503-436-9000