Worried about the Big One? Fretting over fire? Mudslides? Road closures? Zombie apocalypse?
Don't be left in the dark! Yamhill County will now ALERT you about emergencies that could affect your home, business, or family with warnings that come straight to your mobile or land line phone and email.
Recent Oregon state reports have highlighted the danger from "ordinary" (up to Magnitude 8.0 in Portland) and Cascadian subduction zone (M9.0!) earthquakes in western Oregon. We've all seen video of the destructive force of mudslides and fires in Washington and California as well as here in Oregon.
A few moments warning (which is about all we will get with an earthquake) can give people a chance to evacuate vulnerable buildings or to seek appropriate cover. Alerts and evacuation notices can also give us the chance to escape before a fire or landslide overwhelms our neighborhoods.
To get the alerts, you need to create an account with the County's provider, Everbridge, which you reach via the Yamhill County web page. You can include several phones on each account.
Here at the blog we often express concern about the harm a big earthquake will cause to the South Yamhill River when Riverbend Landfill collapses. That big quake will also affect a great many homes and businesses. The quake is overdue; it's time for us to ensure that we have three months' worth of food and water stored in a "safe," accessible area and that our personal "escape" backpacks (food and water, first aid, walking shoes and socks, blanket, change of clothes) are always ready to go.
The quake -- or the fire or the slide or even the zombies -- might not come in our lifetimes. Or they might hit tomorrow.
Give yourself a chance to be safe! Go to http://www.co.yamhill.or.us/emergency-management to sign up.
