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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW SOU hopes to strike sparks between the arts ... Art and pot on council agenda Monday ... Discussion set in Medford on affordable housing ... SOU hopes to strike sparks between the arts ... Art and pot on council agenda Monday ... Discussion set in Medford on affordable housing ... LOCAL TAKE Are you prepared for the next great Cascadia quake? Comment By John Darling For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Feb. 10, 2015 at 2:00 AM Updated Feb 10, 2015 at 4:19 PM By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Feb. 10, 2015 at 2:00 AM Updated Feb 10, 2015 at 4:19 PM » RELATED CONTENT • What are your hopes for the new governor? • Should Gov. Kitzhaber resign due to his fiancee's entanglements?... • What do you do with money saved from cheap gas? • Has Dr. King’s dream been realized? • Have we recovered from the Great Recession? • Are you glad the Ashland Rotary Centennial Ice Rink is here? • College debt load balloons: What could, should be done? • Should tax on market vendors apply retroactively? • What are you doing to get ready for winter? » Social News We live near a long fault line, the Cascadia Subduction Zone, that slips and gives us a big earthquake about every 500 years. It’s been a long time, 315 years, since it last happened. The quake of January 1700 on that zone was a whopper, with a 9 magnitude. What you need to know is that it will happen again. We may think quakes are a California thing, but that’s because ours have long intervals — and the last time it happened, there were no newspapers or scientists or tall buildings to let us know about it in a big way. The pressure builds up over the centuries because the Juan de Fuca plate, under the Pacific Ocean is shoving under the North American plate, where we live, at a rate of 2.5 inches a year, or 21 feet per century. That’s a lot of pushing. The tension builds. Something’s gotta give, and eventually it does. The slip/quake in 1700 slipped 20 meters. When white settlers moved here about 125 years later, the Indians mentioned it, but no one knew when it happened. Amazingly, the Japanese recorded its date because it sent a big tidal wave there. Science has now tracked the past 13 such quakes, with the longest interval being 900 years. The point of all this to get prepared by storing enough non-perishable food and water to last them for as long as two weeks (prior recommendations were for a three-day kit) because many basic services — gas, electricity, water, freeways, markets — can be interrupted for a long time. Have a portable radio with batteries. Drill for evacuation by knowing alternative routes out of the area where you live. Have camping gear and propane stove handy. In Ashland, after the 1997 flood, people got together and created the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and has trained over 600 volunteers who will spring into action if anything big happens. (For more info on CERT, go to http://www.ashland.or.us/Page.asp?NavID=541 , call 541-552-CERT or tune in to 1700 AM radio). The quake may be distant in time or it could be just around the corner. We asked Ashlanders what is their attitude about this coiled monster lying just below our feet and what, if anything, they are doing about it. Rick Rhoades — I feel I’m somewhat prepared. I feel I could evacuate if needed. I’m especially concerned about the quake issue with regard to the oil and gas pipelines being built across Oregon. I feel a little insecure about that. I have flashlight, canned water and food, and two escape routes from the house. I live on the boulevard and it’s fairly easy to get rolling where I need to. Robin Stiehm — I have thought about it, but not to the point of preparing for it. I’m just going to roll with it. Every place in the world has its dangers. I have some stuff for survival. Doesn’t everyone have a flashlight? Ash Goto Webb — I have bottled water, but I’m not prepared per se. My personal philosophy is that we have to go off this Earth plane at some point. I try not to live life in fear of stuff like this. This is not the same as burying my head in the sand. I try to live fully in each moment. Tara Golden (declined photo) — Yes, I have water, food, clothing, the basics, fire extinguisher. No, I don’t really think about this quake. It’s very minor in my mind when I hear about it. Mother Earth does what she wants. That’s how I look at it. Gary Kout — No, I don’t think about it. I’m not prepared. I come from living in Los Angeles and was near when the Northridge quake it. My girlfriend was near when the Loma Prieta quake hit in ’89 (Bay Area). I do have camping gear, stove and fuel. I feel big natural disasters bring out the best in our community and everyone helps everyone. Actually, they even did that in New York during the blackouts, 9/11 and Sandy. When it happens here, I think this community will really rally and get through it great. Amanda Iles — I think about it occasionally. We were near Loma Prieta, so we have a higher level of preparedness, an earthquake bag, with clothing, water, flashlight, AM/FM radio. We sort of assume we’re going to do without some basic things, especially natural gas. By John Darling For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Feb. 10, 2015 at 2:00 AM Updated Feb 10, 2015 at 4:19 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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