We're Pacific NW U.S. earthquake experts ready to talk about tsunamis, earthquake early warning and more

[u/WaQuakePrepare]

EDIT: We are pretty much done! Thanks everyone for the great questions. We have some folks that could check in later if we didn’t get to your question or if you discover us later today but the answers won’t be right away. Remember no matter where you are, we invite you to drop, cover and hold on at 10:20 am Thursday. Learn more at shakeout.org

Oct. 20 is the Great ShakeOut, where millions of people across the country practice earthquake safety and drop, cover and hold on under a sturdy object. Today, we have experts in Washington state and Oregon talking about ShakeOut, earthquakes and we can even touch on Pacific Northwest volcanoes. For instance, did you now it’s possible to now get a warning on your phone before an earthquake strikes? It’s called the ShakeAlert Earthquake Early Warning System.

We are a team with a variety of expertise particularly in the Pacific Northwest including: earthquakes (science/physics, monitoring, protective actions, preparedness), tsunamis (tsunami safety, hazards, modeling, preparedness, and recovery), structural engineering/building performance and emergency preparedness.

PROOF HERE. More proof here.

From Washington Emergency Management Division:

Brian Terbush

Elyssa Tappero

Mark Pierepiekarz, P.E., S.E.

Hollie Stark

Dante DiSabatino

From Pacific Northwest Seismic Network:

Bill Steele

Dr. Renate Hartog

Dr. Alex Hutko

From Washington Department of Natural Resources (Washington Geological Survey):

Corina Allen

Daniel Eungard

From Simpson Strong-Tie (Structural Products and Solutions including Earthquake Retrofits):

Emory Montague, S.E.

From Oregon Office of Emergency Management:

Althea Rizzo

[u/allbrid7373]

Moving from Florida I have experienced natural disasters and always prepared for them but I do not know how to prepare up here. Do I need 7 days of water? What will be the response If a major earthquake hits? Are we on our own for X # of hours/days?

[u/WaQuakePrepare → u/allbrid7373]

That is a great question. Coming from Florida and understanding the hurricane risk there is actually a great start to understanding how to prepare in Washington State.

The first thing is learning the different hazards that exist in your new area. Instead of hurricanes, learn about earthquakes, volcanoes and tsunamis to begin with.

The second thing is to make a plan. That could include a reunification plan, a communication plan, a plan for your vulnerable family members, neighbors and pets (if you have them), a plan to get important safety alerts, or maybe even an evacuation plan depending on where you live. Share this plan with your close friends or family and practice it. A great day to do that is on ShakeOut (today!!!).

The third thing is to build a kit. You should have a go kit with about 72-hours worth of supplies at home, at work, and in your car. And! You should work toward the goal of having enough supplies to survive on your own for at least two weeks.

You can visit mil.wa.gov/preparedness to get started.

-Hollie