Insights

Vashon’s second radio repeater nears fruition!

• John Cornelison
• 10/8/12

Congrats to the variety of people (but especially Randall Bardwell with assistance by Tim Hardy) for huge new progress on getting a second repeater up and (soon) operational for Vashon’s amateur radio community. While it will be able to serve as a backup to the existing W7VMI club repeater, it also is vastly more modern with a super flexible architecture that will allow a much broader array of services and modes in the future. This likely will play a role in enhancing emergency communications in coming years.

Vashon Island Fire & Rescue Celebrates 70 Years with an Open House Oct. 13th

• John Cornelison
• 10/8/12

So Much for Earthquake Independence

• John Cornelison
• 9/28/12

After April’s huge strike-slip earthquake, the USGS reiterated the one earthquake doesn’t jolt others (out of the region) into existence.

Free Quake App Released by Red Cross

• John Cornelison
• 9/25/12

Be ready for an earthquake with Earthquake by American Red Cross. Get notified when an earthquake occurs, prepare your family and home, find help and let others know you are safe even if the power is out – a must have for anyone who lives in an earthquake-prone area or has loved ones who do.

Record-Breaking 99 Disasters Declared in 2011

• John Cornelison
• 9/14/12

President Obama has declared 20 more disasters than in 2010 and 2 times the numbers declared by President George W. Bush in his first two years in the White House.

September is National Preparedness Month-- A Reminder to Check your Supplies for the winter storm season…

• John Cornelison
• 9/1/12

President Obama has proclaimed September as National Preparedness Month.

Study reveals melt welts dynamics inside larger earthquakes

• John Cornelison
• 9/1/12

U.S. seismologists at CA’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography have released a study indicating fault zones weaken in select locations shortly after a fault reaches an earthquake tipping point. This can then transform a smaller series of quakes into a large mega-quake.

Washingtons Own Shake-Out Drill-- October 18th

• John Cornelison
• 8/31/12

• Tags

  Vashon , Vashon be prepared , Earthquakes , Exercise , Events

You only have seconds. Do you know exactly what to do the moment the ground starts shaking? If it involves a doorway, a triangle, or running – these are not quake-safe actions. Register now at www.ShakeOut.org/washington/register to learn more and practice updated quake safety. Be a part of Washington’s ShakeOut drill.

You are invited to join thousands of people who will Drop, Cover, and Hold On on October 18th at 10:18 a.m. in the 2012 Great Washington ShakeOut!

CERT Forms Equestrian Team

• John Cornelison
• 8/27/12

• Tags

  Equestrians , Horse , Vashon , Cert , Volunteers

The Vashon Beachcomber has just published a nice story about CERT’s new equestrian team which has been organized by Beth Kellner with help from Penni Symonds, Wanda Moore, Mary O’Brien and Craig Harmeling.

North America facing 'megadrought'?

• John Cornelison
• 8/2/12

• Tags

  Global , Us , Climate change , Study , Weather

Western North America experienced the strongest drought in 800 years from 2000 to 2004 – but that may be the new normal for the next century. Reduction in carbon uptake during turn of the century drought in western North America – pg 551 – 556, by a group of 10 researchers in the current issue of Nature Geoscience, looks at the reduced carbon uptake (by 51%) in drought stressed forests, based on a study of the 2000-2004 drought throughout western North America.

Historical Evidence Reinforces Seattle Fault Tsunami Threat

• John Cornelison
• 7/28/12

U.S. Geological Survey’s Brian Atwater has found evidence of a powerful tsunami near Bremerton recently – due to an earthquake which was “much more dangerous than previously thought”. Their conclusion: climb to safety after an earthquake.

Tracy Connelly is Seattle OEM’s new Community Planning Coordinator

• John Cornelison
• 7/27/12