15 years ago this morning, at 10:54 am on February 28, 2001, the 6.8-magnitude Nisqually Earthquake hit. Here’s some of what it did in West Seattle.

Nothing anywhere that big has shaken us since. But someday, sometime, one will. So we’re talking today about being ready. This map can help:

The markers on it – 13 of them now – show you the sites of West Seattle Be Prepared‘s 13 Neighborhood Emergency Communication Hubs. Find the one nearest you – and make sure everyone you care about knows about it. (If there’s not one near you, you can help launch one.) If a huge disaster hits, and the usual communication channels are cut off, these are places you can go to find out how to get help, how to offer help, etc., as explained here (and in even more detail here).

Our area was a pioneer in the “hubs” movement, which has expanded to other areas of our city, and is expected to continue growing. They’re for everyone, whether you’ve been here days, weeks, years, or decades – next month, for example, a hub-training event is planned for one of our area’s bigger new apartment complexes, as the hub in The Junction is finalized, and if it’s successful, it will be repeated for other interested apartment communities in the area.

Being ready, ultimately, is personal – have a kit, have a plan. This isn’t something someone will do “for” you. West Seattle Be Prepared is a volunteer community effort. We checked with its organizers to find out what else is new regarding local preparedness, as we mark the quake anniversary today.

This year, WSBP’s Cindi Barker tells us, is about partnerships and getting connected:

*They’re working with local churches about being partners in preparedness and in response in case it’s needed – including how to become a Red Cross shelter

*You’ll see WSBP at spring/summer community festivals as usual – starting with the West Seattle Bee Festival on May 21st and the Morgan Junction Community Festival on June 18th

*In June, WSBP will host a Business Continuity workshop for members of the West Seattle Junction Association, Barker says, “to teach our local businesses what a Business Continuity Plan is, why it’s important and point them to free-ware so they can either do one with us at a follow-up brown-bag event, or so they can do it on their own.”

*Also in June, some of the West Seattle hubs will be part of a major citywide drill on June 11th, “in loose conjunction with the big Cascadia Rising regional exercise” (which is happening June 7-10th, playing out the scenario of a megaquake/tsunami)

*Potential fall event related to what Barker says “is a training program being released this summer for local medical clinics and personnel, to teach them about their important role in the communities during a disaster.” As she says, the bottom line remains, they’ll be needed!

SPEAKING OF BEING NEEDED:

*Are you a ham-radio operator? Know someone who is? The Auxiliary Communication Service needs more in West Seattle to become part of the team. E-mail seattleacs1@gmail.com

*Part of a SNAP (Seattle Neighborhoods Actively Prepare), Block Watch or CERT group? Put yourself on the citywide map to get connected!

SPEAKING OF GETTING CONNECTED:

*Along with the West Seattle Be Prepared website, WSBP has a Facebook group.

P.S. If you didn’t know – there’s an online seismogram at Alki Point; you can check any time for recent quakes around the region by going here.

Even if you didn’t feel it, the Vancouver Island earthquake late last night is another wakeup call reiterating the message that we all need to be ready, because someday we’re going to shake in a big way. So here are two maps you need to see. First, from West Seattle Be Prepared:

KNOW YOUR NEAREST WEST SEATTLE EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION HUB: Especially if you’re new to WS, this might be news to you. Preparedness volunteers in our area have been regional leaders in this unique aspect of preparedness – organizing “hubs” where you can go in case of catastrophe, to get information and seek help if the regular communication channels are down/damaged/unreliable. Click a spot on the map to get information on the location where volunteers plan to set up a hub if and when disaster strikes. If you don’t see one relatively close to you, that’s only because no one has come forward to lead the way in your area – here’s how you can help! And take some time to browse the WSBP website, which is an excellent resource packed with a variety of preparedness-related info.

Now, the second map you should see. You might have already taken a look, as this new city map was circulating in the days just BEFORE the quake:

SEATTLE NATURAL HAZARD EXPLORER: The city-produced map takes you through a variety of types of “natural hazards,” including earthquake risk, as explained in Seattle Times science reporter Sandi Doughton‘s story earlier this week. You can see the map (really, it’s more than a map) fullscreen by going here; in the condensed version above, you can use the arrows at the bottom to scroll through types of hazards. In each category, click the “i” at top right to open up a text box with information at the bottom of the map, including a tab that explains the map’s legend for that section. Among other things, the earthquake-risk view shows where the Seattle Fault travels through our peninsula.

Even if you weren’t part of Thursday’s statewide earthquake drill – you can get your preparedness going ANY TIME. Here’s some inspiration – at Explorer West Middle School (WSB sponsor), the drill went far beyond the actual “imagine there’s a quake” moment. Out on the field, they set up a makeshift hospital. And some students portrayed people in major need of treatment.

This was all organized by teacher Timothy Owens, who explained it to us on camera:

(The call Owens took at the end of our chat, by the way, was from the school’s brand-new phone-alert system, which gets messages to families in case of emergency.) The drill was based on a long-lasting quake. Students took cover under their desks, then went out on the field, for a drill running about 45 minutes, followed by a debriefing; regular classes resumed after lunch.

P.S. If your earthquake/disaster preparedness is lagging – don’t feel guilty, you’re not alone! – a great place to get started, with local info, is West Seattle Be Prepared – be sure to find your nearest emergency communication “hub”!

Though November might seem far away, the city’s earthquake-preparedness presentations tend to fill up fast, so we’re sharing word of this one in case you want to sign up:

Are you prepared for the next big earthquake and other disasters Seattle could face? Attend a presentation at one of the below library branches to hear from local emergency management experts about what you can do to get prepared. Learn about the City’s new emergency alert and notification system – AlertSeattle – and bring questions to ask the City’s hazard specialist during an open Q&A session.

Wed. November 4, 2015
5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Southwest Library Branch

Register for a class by emailing your name and the presentation you plan to attend to snap@seattle.gov

Did you feel it? We heard from one person south of Alki Point who said they did – a 4.0-magnitude earthquake at 3:22 this afternoon, epicenter east of North Bend. Lots of info here – and if you DID feel it, tell the scientists by filling out this form. The quake gives us a reason to remind you that September is Preparedness Month – and at the very least, you need to know where your nearest Emergency Communication Hub is.

They’re not quite burning the midnight oil, but close. Local emergency-preparedness volunteers will be in view at Ercolini Park west of The Junction and Hiawatha Playfield (above) in Admiral until about 10 pm tonight as part of a citywide drill. We stopped at both before sunset. The drill scenario: A BIG quake, with the Neighborhood Emergency Communication Hubs on Day 3, working to communicate information and procure help. Listen in to a snippet from Hiawatha:

We listened in for a bit at Ercolini too:

Ham-radio operators are on site at each participating hub this time for the first time, according to West Seattle Be Prepared.

Volunteers of all ages were welcome, and were assigned roles including “greeter” and “message taker” all to be ready just in case the unthinkable happens and the hubs have to be set up because other ways of communication aren’t working:

That was the whiteboard at Hiawatha, which we visited a while after our stop at Ercolini:

While these were the only two hubs “activated” for tonight’s drill, West Seattle has ten others – check this map to find the one closest to you:

And learn more about the hubs at westseattlebeprepared.org.

The magnitude-7.8 earthquake in Nepal is now reported to have killed almost 2,000 people. And a difficult, dangerous time is ahead for the survivors who now must figure out how to get through its aftermath and aftershocks. So tonight, a reminder about local preparedness:

You need to know where your nearest Emergency Communication Hub is – and that map will help. West Seattle volunteers have led the way in organizing hubs around the peninsula. The hubs are places you can go in the aftermath of a disaster that shuts down usual communications, places to find information and help, as explained on this page of westseattlebeprepared.org – and on a citywide level, they’re explained in this video:

The video mentions the drills that hub volunteers stage every so often to make sure plans and procedures will be fresh if and when disaster strikes. Just so happens that the next drill is two weeks from today, Saturday, May 9th – an evening drill this time, 5-10 pm around the city. The drill scenario will be “a major earthquake followed by aftershocks and worsening weather conditions. The exercise will test operations, procedures and equipment, offer opportunities to learn and to get to know fellow volunteers.” West Seattle Be Prepared‘s Cindi Barker shares this flyer showing that two WS hubs are participating, Ercolini and Hiawatha, and explaining how you can help, even if you haven’t been involved with a hub before:

Hub volunteers and radio operators with the Seattle Auxiliary Communications Service will be among those participating.

In the meantime, here’s one more *very important* thing you can do even if you are not involved with a hub: A new website has launched in an attempt to get various community safety and preparedness-related groups communicating and coordinating – Hubs plus SNAP, CERT, and Block Watch groups. If you’re involved with any of the above, go to seattleemergencyhubs.org, find the Emergency NeighborLink Map on the home page, and get signed up so your group will show up.

P.S. If you haven’t even taken the basic preparedness steps – emergency food/water supplies – don’t feel overwhelmed. The Seattle Neighborhoods Actively Prepare (SNAP) website has some advice – see this page.

Because of its pioneering Emergency Communication Hubs, West Seattle is a regional leader in neighborhood-based emergency preparedness – and that was affirmed by an award presentation this afternoon at Fauntleroy Church. On behalf of the Community Hubs citywide, Cindi Barker from West Seattle Be Prepared accepted the King County Executive’s Award for Community Preparedness, presented by KCE Dow Constantine. Those on hand got a demonstration of scenarios that the all-volunteer Hubs are meant to handle, and the kinds of information and resources they would coordinate:

The award honors the Hubs for “going beyond the basics, to promote disaster survivability and build community resiliency.” Also there, a city rep with whom they have worked closely, Debbie Goetz:

And we can’t talk about the hubs without again showing you the map of where West Seattle has them:

They’re explained here – locations chosen by neighborhood groups, designed to be set up in case of catastrophe that interrupts regular ways to communicate. You need to know the closest one to your neighborhood, so that you know where to go for information and help in case of disaster. If there’s not one anywhere near you – that’s because no one has stepped up to get it organized – contact WSBP if you’re interested in making one happen!

P.S. We’ll add video of today’s award presentation once it’s uploaded back at HQ. (Added – here it is:)

October is Disaster Preparedness Month in our state, and how timely; regional water woes – this morning’s Delridge pipe break, and the recent Mercer Island scare – are a reminder that you need to have an emergency supply of water on hand. From West Seattle Be Prepared:

The recent challenges to our normal water supply reflect the importance of being prepared for emergencies. Sometimes an emergency can be small, like a day where the water is shut off, or bigger in scale, with complete disruption or like the recent “boil water” notice on Mercer Island. Stores in Mercer Island quickly sold out of bottled water and residents were dragging out pots to boil water. This would have been a perfect time for those residents to dig into their 3-day (or more) stash of water set aside for emergencies, as part of their emergency preparedness kit. Using that water, while waiting for normal service to return, would have prevented panicked searches for bottled water supplies at the stores or the inconvenience of boiling water for multiple days. The additional benefit is that once you used your supply up, in the Mercer Island case, the stores would have received new shipments AND you can replace your stored water with a fresh supply, and your emergency-kit water is now good to go for another 6 months before normal cycling.

So what should you do to secure that water stash? We covered that during our special preparedness reports last year – check it out here.

In light of today’s Northern California earthquake – we have two preparedness reminders. First, do you know where your Emergency Communication Hub is? The map above is courtesy of West Seattle Be Prepared, local volunteers who have worked for years on helping facilitate local neighborhood preparedness. The hubs are explained here – in short, the place you would go if regular communication channels/methods weren’t working in the aftermath of a disaster (big quake, storm, etc.). If there’s no hub near you, it’s because no one has stepped forward to set one up – this is an all-volunteer effort; here’s how to get one going.

Second, the city offers classes to help you retrofit your residence to make it more capable of withstanding a quake, and as mentioned on WSB recently, registration is open for one coming up this fall – info is here.

These sessions are usually really popular, and advance registration is required, so here’s an early heads-up: The city Office of Emergency Management is offering a free earthquake-retrofit workshop at West Seattle (Admiral) Branch Library on October 4th, 11 am-1 pm. More info here, including the note that you have to sign up, so if you’re interested, do that ASAP – e-mail snap@seattle.gov.

In case of catastrophe – there’s likely a Neighborhood Emergency Communication Hub near you, a place where you can go to get and share information about what’s happening and how to get help. Pigeon Point has a new hub location – 20th/Genesee – on the West Seattle Be Prepared Emergency Communication Hubs roster, and Jim Sander has created signs to help get the word out:

Thanks to Pete Spalding for sharing the photos. P.S. So where’s YOUR nearest hub, you ask? Check this map from westseattlebeprepared.org:

Don’t see one near you? Here’s how to change that.

Kitchen fires are the most common kind of fire in the U.S. – so do you know what to do in case of a fire in your kitchen? Take a few minutes and watch the demonstration we covered this morning at the Joint Training Facility on the southeast edge of West Seattle. That’s Seattle Fire Department Captain C.M. Yob. (For the abbreviated version, move the cursor ahead to 2 minutes in, when the flames appear.) Also on hand, Puget Sound Energy‘s Andy Wappler:

We photographed him showing off the elements of a disaster-preparedness starter kit that will be given away at Fred Meyer in Redondo (25250 Pacific Hwy S.) during an event on June 14th that’s part of the Safe in the Sound campaign involving PSE and the Red Cross, among others.

The volunteers of West Seattle Be Prepared are more prepared than ever after today’s emergency-communications drill at Ercolini Park west of The Junction. WSBP’s Karen Berge shared these photos, and reports, “Fortunately, the weather was nice and we had a great turnout of volunteers and people who stopped by to ask about what we were doing!” In case you missed the preview, they were acting out what might happen in the event of a major Mount Rainier ash/mudflow, and how the neighborhood “hubs” (explained here) would communicate and cooperate. Ercolini and North Delridge hubs “activated” at the park for the drill, but volunteers from elsewhere helped, including Gordon Wiehler, Fauntleroy hub captain, who served as a radio operator at Ercolini

Alki hub captain Tony Fragada also served as a radio operator. At left in the next photo, debriefing post-drill, is Ercolini hub captain Kris Buitrago ):

The hubs are set to activate in case of catastrophe – and you’ll want to know where the nearest hub is, since it’ll be a place to go to find information and seek help. Here’s the current West Seattle hub map:

Along with Karen, fellow WSBP leaders Deb Greer and Cindi Barker were there, along with North Delridge hub captain Jay McNally; the EC Hughes hub’s acting captain Shane Marr was “offsite in the role of Net Control,” Karen mentions. You can find out more about WSBP at tomorrow’s Seattle Summer Streets event on Alki, 11 am-5 pm – look for them toward the west side of the street-fest zone, between 61st and 63rd.

Seen hazily in the distance from a ferry this morning, Mount Rainier was beautiful … yet always, also, vaguely ominous. It’s a volcano. And it’s NOT extinct. So … what if? That’s the scenario for a disaster drill coming up this Saturday morning (May 17th, 9 am-noon), involving West Seattle preparedness volunteers and others around the area. Local activity will be focused at Ercolini Park west of The Junction and at American Legion Post 160 in The Triangle. As officially announced:

Neighborhood emergency preparedness groups across Seattle assisted by amateur radio emergency communicators will test skills Saturday in an exercise based on a simulated major mudflow and ash release from Mt. Rainier. This exercise titled “Mud and Ash Everywhere” is the spring version of this semiannual event. The goal of this exercise is to practice preparedness and response actions that will contribute to community resiliency in surviving a significant disaster.

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As the Snohomish County slide disaster reminds us, lives can be changed or ended in an instant, without warning. In some cases, preparedness wouldn’t have made a difference. But in many, it can. If you can spare five minutes right now, for starters, you can make a difference – West Seattle community advocate Mat McBride, who also happens to be a private-sector preparedness professional, explains:

While Oso has our collective attention, there’s a local preparedness initiative happening. I’m part of the team updating Seattle’s Hazard Mitigation Plan, and the public feedback portion is underway. This is an important process, as it helps the Office of Emergency Management identify the priorities from its key stakeholders – us. There are two opportunities at present:

* Take the online survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SeaHazMitSurvey. It takes all of 5 minutes to lock in West Seattle concerns and priorities.

* Attend the public meeting: April 8 from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Rainier Community Center, 4600 38th Ave. South Seattle

Interpretation and accommodations are available upon advance request to Donna Voss, Project Manager, at (206) 233-5089 or by email at:
HazardMitigationPlanUpdate@seattle.gov

The survey took us just four minutes – its centerpiece is a list in which you can rate your level of concern about types of disaster both natural and man-made.