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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 newspaper The Siskiyou to continue ... SOU begins new tradition with alumni breakfast ... SOU’s 90th commencement Saturday ... SOU newspaper The Siskiyou to continue ... SOU begins new tradition with alumni breakfast ... SOU’s 90th commencement Saturday ... PUBLIC SAFETY Drilling for the Big One Ashland emergency responders practice for a major quake on the Cascadia Subduction Zone Comment By Julie Akins For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Julie Akins For the Tidings Posted Jun. 9, 2016 at 7:19 PM By Julie Akins For the Tidings Posted Jun. 9, 2016 at 7:19 PM » RELATED CONTENT • Massive rehearsal planned for Northwest mega-quake, tsunami • Is City Hall a teardown? • Ashland is READY! Are YOU? • Are you prepared for the next great Cascadia quake? » Social News Throughout the Pacific Northwest, communities prepared for a Cascadia Subduction Earthquake with emergency drills all day on Thursday. They have to plan because — there’s no way to sugarcoat it — it would be bad. Here in Ashland it’s likely bridges would collapse both to the north and south. I-5 would not be passable. Ashland would be cut off from the rest of the country, with airplanes being the only way to access resources as basic as water. And that’s if the runways at Rogue Valley International Airport don’t buckle so badly it would take too long to repair them. Thousands will die immediately from the collapse of buildings and, on the coast, a tsunami. Others may die from injuries from the initial quake and, later from lack of food and water. This grim scenario is all according to emergency workers pressed into service to practice a response for when the Cascadia Subduction quake hits. It’s not an "if" but a "when." Latest predictions from the U.S. Geological Survey calculate that it will happen within the next 30 years. “This particular one was scheduled by FEMA because it is imminent,” said Ashland Public Information Officer Ann Seltzer. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is leading the charge, urging all communities to step up their drills and emergency planning. The media was pressed into service as well, giving emergency officials a chance to practice their responses to requests for information. In the drill, the scenario was a 6.8 quake. It’s more likely the Cascadia Subduction Earthquake would be closer to 9. Seltzer told reporters how it would work: in case of no electricity, written public notices would be posted at schools and parks. Evacuated residents would be moved to buildings least affected. For Thursday’s drill, those places were the United Methodist Church and Ashland Middle School. In the Ashland Council Chambers, an Emergency Operations Center — a war room of sorts — was set up. Different members of agencies wore vests describing their role. They moved between stations, disseminating information. “What we know is that as we continue to practice in the event something happens, it becomes a partnership. We have to rely on you and you have to rely on us,” Seltzer told a crew of television and newspaper reporters. Among those in a colorful vest was Ashland City Attorney Dave Lohman. When asked his role in a state of emergency, he gave a few examples: “If, for some reason we need to seize a tractor in the case of emergency, the city needs to know if it can do it. If medical supplies are needed, we need to know if we can take them.” When asked if the city could do that in a dire situation where lives are threatened, Lohman said it would be legal. He also said they’d have to keep track so people could later be reimbursed. One of the mock emergency declarations said no more than 10 people could gather together in outdoor public spaces. When asked about that, Lohman explained it would have to do with giving policing authority. “It’d be hard to enforce. I’m not sure we would. But it’s there to give police authority.” That’s when the concept of a drill becomes more real. “There may be a need to prevent a mob situation,” according to Lohman. The other very real scenario discussed was the closing of Interstate 5 both north and south. “Highway 97 both north and south would not be terribly affected. Roads would have to be maintained to cross over from east to west,” said Lohman. Another scenario would be the breaking of Hosler Dam and subsequent evacuations as a result. That too was addressed in the drill and also by Assistant Public Works Chief Mike Morrison, who says improvements have been made and continue to be made to make sure the dam does not break and, if it spills, it does so in a direction with the least amount of damage. “It’s in pretty good shape right now," Morrison said. "We’re always monitoring it to make sure. But right now it looks good.” So how do Ashland emergency crews feel in case of the big one? “I do think we’re ready. I think the thing that is challenging is that every emergency is different enough. The practice is really how well can we respond to those practices and challenges,” said Seltzer. “There’s always room for us to learn, practice and grow.” Email Ashland freelance writer Julie Akins at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/ @julieakins. By Julie Akins For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Julie Akins For the Tidings Posted Jun. 9, 2016 at 7:19 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. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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