Vashon

Washingtons Own Shake-Out Drill-- October 18th

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

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.

2012 Evergreen Quake Exercise An Excellent Learning Experience

Vashon Beachcomber Covers Vashon’s Potential Tsunami

Today’s Vashon Beachcomber had a bunch of great quotes that Susan Riemer got from next week’s expert speakers. She especially covered the little reported tsunami risk that could damage our ferry docks, certain waterfront locations (those perpendicular to the surge), and perhaps the isthmus between Vashon and Maury Islands. Some information on this can also be found on our tsunami page.

Update on New Scientific Research of Earthquake Hazards to Seattle

Art Frankel and Craig Weaver of the U.S. Geological Survey gave a presentation to the Seattle City Council on Monday (as noted in this agenda) that has raised some eyebrows – and reaffirms our sensitivity to upcoming seismic disturbances. See their PowerPoint presentation or read on for a few copies of a few of their slides.

Two State Experts on Vashon Earthquake & Tsunami Risks + What You Can Do for your Home, Family & Pets!

Fortunately these experts can help homeowners and families understand what each of us can do to protect ourselves, families, pets, livestock, businesses and property from these predicted disasters. A large portion of the evening will be set aside to get your questions answered. Handouts for families, home and business owners will also be available.

USGS Seismic Hazards Investigations in the Puget Sound

An ‘ongoing’ effort (but apparently in abeyance since 2002?!) to create an accurate seismic model for the Puget Sound region and British Columbia is the USGS’ Seismic Hazards Investigations in the Puget Sound (SHIPS) project. Since March 1998 SHIPS has conducted a series of seismic studies to better describe earthquake hazards in the Puget Lowland and British Columbia.

Is Vashon at Risk for Tsunamis?

Most folks think of an overseas or Cascadia based quake as generating a terrible tsunami – and they are right. However such a tsunami is not likely to cause massive damage to Vashon from what I’ve heard – largely due to the moderating influence of the Straits of Juan de Fuca. (It will be interesting to verify this at our upcoming April 18th community meeting with Washington State experts).

PSE Crews working on West Side Power Outage

Just a quick report that power (and phone) has been out for parts of the west side (near Redding's Loop Road at least) for ~3 hours. Apparently a large tree fell across the power line near 216th St. on 111th Ave. The tree has been removed at this point and crews are working on repairing the line. Hopefully power will be restored within a couple more hours or less.

38% of Americans Never Considered Getting Prepared; 20% to “Wing It”!

Not too surprisingly, disaster preparedness is not at the forefront of most Americans priority – but many don’t even have any plans. The original research was done by the Persuadable Research Corporation with reports of the survey released by PRWeb and the Homeland Security News Wire.

Steps to Comprehensive Business Planning and Preparedness

Got a business on Vashon? Here’s what you need to know to avoid disruption after a fire, a storm, a pandemic, or an earthquake. It is courtesy of the Washington State’s Emergency Management Division’s Business Preparedness Website, that includes a ton of additional resources to help your business survive!

Vashon Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Training Starts March 16th

Cascadia Mega-Quake Threat-- Even Larger than Previously Thought?

Japan’s Tohoku earthquake last year has provided valuable data that is altering scientists’ understanding of our local Cascadia earthquake potential. Geologists have documented some 22 megaquakes over the last 10,000 years - every 200 to 1,000 years, averaging some 500 years. The region’s last was on January 26, 1700.

FEMA P-811-- Earthquake Publications for Businesses (QuakeSmart Toolkit)–Just Released!

VashonBePrepared has been working with the Debi Richards and the Vashon Chamber of Commerce and a large number of local businesses this fall to promote business disaster preparedness. A useful new national program has just been announced that promises to provide some great guidance for all of us. The big aim:

VIFR Cookbook Out!

Introductory HAZUS Webinars Available

Hazus is a nationally applicable standardized methodology that contains models for estimating potential losses from earthquakes, floods, and hurricanes. Hazus uses Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology to estimate physical, economic, and social impacts of disasters.

New Emergency Alert System to be used for 1st Ever Nationwide Test on November 9 @ 11 AM PST

Business NERO Jumps into Action

Over the last year Debi Richards, the Vashon Chamber of Commerce’s Executive Director has been thinking about how to encourage businesses to get better prepared.

King County Executive Dow Constantine’s 2011 Award for Community Preparedness to VashonBePrepared

On September 30th, King County Executive Dow Constantine presented the citizens of Vashon and the organizations that comprise VashonBePrepared with his 2011 Award for Community Preparedness as noted in the King County press release and my comments on the award. The actual text of the award follows:

Vashon Maury Island Radio Club celebrates “Amateur Radio Week” with Field Day

Vashon Maury Island Radio Club will celebrate Washington’s Amateur Radio Week on Vashon with our own Field Day. (We’ll actually be over achievers by holding a two day event, on June 24 & 25!)

Enhanced Alerting on the Way

Personal Localized Alerting Network (PLAN) is a new public safety system, announced May 10th, to send free text alerts to cell phones. Geographically-targeted Presidential, emergency and AMBER alerts will use unique vibrations and tones to send alerts of imminent threats to safety. PLAN complements the existing Emergency Alert System (prior to 1998 known as the Emergency Broadcast System) and will be implemented by the FCC and FEMA. While the Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS) Is apparently voluntary, the Warning, Alert and Response Network (WARN) Act requires those wireless carriers to activate PLAN technology by April 2012.  AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon have pledged earlier support.

How Severe was that Quake Anyway?!

King County OEM’s Pascal Schuback had a neat 138 character tweet today that took me well over an hour to digest:

Civil Defense Workers First Aid Drill–Vashon Island 1942

Courtesy of the Museum of History and Industry, and the Seattle Emergency Operations Center where a large reprint is prominently displayed, is this neat old photo.

Vashon Awarded $16K for Disaster Emergency Response Trailer

At today’s Region 6 Homeland Security Council’s EMACS meeting, approximately $16K of unused funds from the FFY2009(or 2008?) Homeland Security Grant Program previously designated for Disaster Emergency Response Trailers (DERT) in King County, was re-allocated for Vashon! The trailer will primarily be used to store ADA compliant cots, blankets and pillows for use in community shelters to be set up for off-island visitors and workers unable to get home, or for residents with damaged houses.

VashonBePrepared Meeting to Discuss Little Known Vashon Earthquake Hazard

In just the last two years, federal earthquake scientists have completed analysis of the Tacoma Fault. As it turns out, the Tacoma Fault actually runs directly across the center of Vashon, the community that could be most affected if it ruptures. The latest computer analysis indicates that shaking from the fault could be as severe as the recent earthquakes in Christchurch and Sendai. That makes it doubly or even triply important for all of us to be prepared to sustain ourselves for as long as 10 days at home until help can arrive.

A Magnitude 7.1 Earthquake in the Tacoma Fault Zone—A Plausible Scenario for Downtown Vashon

This is (nearly) the title of the latest USGS fact sheet #3023 summarizing what could happen if a 7.1 earthquake happened along the Tacoma Fault Zone, as recently modeled by scientists.

Vashon Wildfires

Historically Vashon has had a few major wildfires:

1893: in August 1893 a fire began in the logged off area near the present high school where the first saw mill was located.  The fire rages for two days and nights, “nearly a hundred” volunteers “fought desperately against apparently hopeless odds, with shovels and hoes and rakes, to save the new Baptist Church and the Presbyterian Church at Center, and the Fuller store across the street.  With the flames within two hundred yards of Center, the wind shifted to the north on the evening of the second day, allowing fire fighters finally gain control of the fire.