News from the Oregon Hazards Lab

At two earthquake preparedness events associated with the Great Oregon ShakeOut, experts from the Oregon Hazards Lab, the Cascadia Region Earthquake Science Center, and local and state governments shared how Oregonians can prepare for future earthquakes.

The University of Oregon will participate in the annual Great Oregon ShakeOut on Thursday, Oct. 17, and is recommending all employees and students take part in the earthquake safety drill at 2:17 p.m. Safety and Risk Services, the Cascadia Region Earthquake Science Center and the Oregon Hazards Lab are also hosting two events to raise awareness of earthquake science and preparedness.

Learn about the risks posed by earthquakes and what you can do to prepare for it. This training will teach about earthquakes on the Cascadia Subduction Zone, what kind of damage to expect, and what steps individuals can take to be more prepared on campus and at home. It will include a brief earthquake drill as part of the Great Oregon ShakeOut.

Join seismologists, emergency managers, and researchers to find out how Oregon is preparing for the Big One. Scientists from the Cascadia Research Earthquake Science Center and experts from the Oregon Hazards Lab will discuss what we know now, what we expect to learn, and what you can do to be prepared. This free event will be at the Museum of Natural and Cultural History on October 17 from 6:30-8pm.

The Oregon Hazards Lab at the University of Oregon and the Rogue Valley Council of Governments have received a Hazard Mitigation Assistance grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to deploy 12 additional wildfire cameras across the Rogue Valley region over three years. The project begins in summer 2024 and will be complete by summer 2027.

Earthquakes threaten the safety of people and infrastructure across geopolitical boundaries. For this reason, collaboration is key to safety in Canada and the United States, particularly in border areas. The U.S. Geological Survey and Natural Resources Canada have collaborated to share science, algorithms, real-time data, and public safety information between the nation’s distinct earthquake early warning systems.