By John Cornelison on
10/29/2014 11:31 AM
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By John Cornelison on
10/22/2014 6:22 AM
VashonBePrepared Convenes Community Meeting on Landslide Risk VashonBePrepared invites the entire community to learn more about landslide risks on Vashon, a risk that ranks in the top three for the Island, right up there along with earthquake and severe weather. The informational meeting, which will include a question and answer session, will take place on Wednesday, October 29th,...
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By John Cornelison on
9/22/2014 7:27 AM
At least our knowledge of the Seattle Fault’s extent grew. This is according to USGS researcher Craig Weaver, as quoted in today’s Seattle Times article. Apparently the quake occurred at the intersection of the Seattle Fault and another fault on the Olympic Peninsula. The article also references a 1995 quake near Vashon with magnitude 5 – which also turned out to be along the Seattle Fault. The picture to the right (from the USGS)...
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By John Cornelison on
8/27/2014 1:13 PM
According to UW’s John Vidale, as reported by KING-TV and The Seattle Times, getting an early warning system in place for WA would cost some $17 million annually. We’ve a rudimentary system, but that’s seemingly not ready for prime time. It apparently is a priority for California’s legislators, but not (quite yet) ours. Maybe that will change! More about California’s system – which gave a 10-second notice to the recent Napa quake is available at CBS.
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By John Cornelison on
8/27/2014 12:10 PM
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By John Cornelison on
8/27/2014 12:04 PM
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By John Cornelison on
8/27/2014 11:57 AM
The recent August 24, 2014 earthquake outside of Napa, California again demonstrated the seismic risk posed by a building’s nonstructural components. In general, the components of a building’s structural system that support the building and keep it standing—the frame, walls, and roof—performed very well in the Napa Valley earthquake. However, the nonstructural components of a building—the cladding, interior...
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By John Cornelison on
7/25/2014 8:37 AM
Voice of Vashon has started construction on Vashon’s new radio station KVSH, building as funds come in. And Islanders donated over $3,000 at Strawberry Festival so their fundraising campaign is at 93% of the $50,000 goal. It'll take a couple more months of work to put KVSH-FM on the air but last week the all volunteer team erected the mast and antenna up top of the giant water tank just south of town. See for yourself in this video! ...
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By John Cornelison on
7/25/2014 8:31 AM
This map shows, in purple and pink, the west-east line of magnetotelluric sensors that were placed north of Washington state’s Mount Rainier to study the volcanic plumbing system under the volcano. The sensors detect how the ground resists or conducts natural electricity within the Earth. Shown in yellow are seismic sensors that detect how fast or slow sound or seismic waves travel underground. Both methods were used in a new study that provides the most detailed look yet at the subterranean plumbing system that supplies the active volcano. Photo Credit: R Shane McGary, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution July 17, 2014 – By measuring how fast Earth conducts electricity and seismic waves, a University of Utah researcher and colleagues made...
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By John Cornelison on
7/24/2014 8:03 AM
From http://www.usgs.gov/blogs/features/usgs_top_story/new-insight-on-the-nations-earthquake-hazards/ “Important changes in Washington are related to the addition of the Tacoma fault and changes to the South Whidbey Island fault. The Seattle region hazard has not changed significantly because we use a very similar model for the Seattle fault as was applied in 2008. We have not modified this fault using the geodetic model.” from the USGS report, Pg. 192 By: Jessica Robertson (jrobertson@usgs.gov) and Mark Petersen (mpetersen@usgs.gov) ...
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By John Cornelison on
6/19/2014 6:39 AM
Please don’t confuse VashonBePrepared with Cliff Goodman’s neat new Kickstarter campaign just down the road: Vashon Beer Prepared! Cliff has run out of space and brewing capacity, and a serious shortage has developed as he has...
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By John Cornelison on
6/10/2014 12:30 PM
While there have been numerous historical problems (victim & rescuer safety, communication and conflicted goals) with asking untrained volunteers to help out during disasters, they were invaluable in the recent Oso slide rescue effort. It is pretty clear that they are very useful in a number of situations with some supervision or initial vetting. Read this article by the Everett HeraldNet to learn more: www.heraldnet.com/article/20140601/NEWS01/140609942/Disaster-response-gets-local-emphasis
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By John Cornelison on
5/11/2014 8:25 PM
According to this recent KOMO News piece, Seattle is warning residents to not inadvertently cause landslides. "Eighty-four percent of the landslides that have happened in Seattle have, to some minor or major degree,...
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By John Cornelison on
5/11/2014 7:32 PM
According to this KOMO News piece, King County unveiled Monday, May 5th an initiative to re-map unincorporated county land over the next two years partially to help identify potential landslide areas. King County will dedicate $800,000 to take advantage of much improved technology to remap the county using latest lidar equipment. The last survey done in 1980 doesn’t have the resolution or clarity that is now available – though it famously aided identification of the previously unknown Seattle Fault....
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By John Cornelison on
5/8/2014 11:56 AM
Open for Business! Free Preparedness Workshop What can you do to keep going when the lights go out? What can you do now to help your business manage one of those Vashon-style power outages that last for days? At this second Open for Business! workshop we've invited Puget Sound Energy (PSE) to help us plan for the inevitable and most frequent cause of business disruption. ...
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By John Cornelison on
5/5/2014 12:01 PM
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By John Cornelison on
4/30/2014 5:25 PM
The next Open For Business! workshop on Vashon is coming up May 13th at 6:00. All about power this time!. Open for Business! Free Preparedness Workshop Prepare Your Business for Disaster & Disruption. 40% of businesses do not reopen after a disaster and an additional 25% go dark within one year according to FEMA. When? Monday January 27th 6:30 to 8:30pm Where? Land Trust building 10014 SW Bank Rd. Questions? Open for Business! Team biz@VashonBePrepared.org...
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By John Cornelison on
4/15/2014 7:47 AM
Somewhat serendipitously, the New York Times Retro Report has come out with a special report on earthquake preparedness published April 13th – the same month as the Pacific Northwest’s 1949 and 1965 earthquakes. They prepared an 11 minute video that unfortunately focuses mostly on California and Oregon – but hopefully will spur us all to action. California and the Pacific Northwest are clearly not yet adequately prepared...
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By John Cornelison on
4/14/2014 7:58 AM
Thursday, April 24, 2014, 6:00 – 7:00pm UW Science Now Shelley Chestler: Slow Earthquakes Michelle Weirathmueller: Quakes and Whales Downstairs at Town Hall; enter on Seneca Street. $5. Double Feature! Science Western Washington is due for “ The Big One,”...
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By John Cornelison on
3/5/2014 9:25 PM
Calling all Radioheads … and anyone else who wants to learn more about volunteer emergency communications! The 2014 Communications Academy, on the campus of South Seattle Community College, is just a few weeks away. See the link below for more information & register now for this excellent event. This year’s keynote speakers: Bill Schrier, FirstNet, and Harold Kramer, Boston Marathon Volunteer. The academy provides two days of training and information on various...
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By John Cornelison on
2/23/2014 6:38 AM
Friday February 21, 2014, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved Voice of Vashon’s (VoV) application for an FM radio station – along with over 1000 other low-power FM applicants nationwide. Fourteen years ago a small group of volunteers dared to dream that Vashon could have its own live radio voice. Now, that dream has come true. While much of the infrastructure is in place for the station to go live, a new FM...
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By John Cornelison on
1/21/2014 7:42 AM
Free Preparedness Workshop From VashonBePrepared & Vashon Chamber of Commerce Monday January 27th 6:30 to 8:30pm Land Trust building (10014 SW Bank Rd.) Advance Registration Required so Click Here: http://goo.gl/n1bLPg Prepare Your Business for Disaster & Disruption. 40% of businesses do not reopen after a disaster and an additional 25% go dark within one year according to FEMA. Especially important...
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By John Cornelison on
1/7/2014 7:55 AM
“For the first time in two decades, the world's costliest natural disasters in 2013 were not in the USA, according to a report released today by Munich Re, the world's largest reinsurance firm. Last year, the most expensive weather disasters were in Europe, which...
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By John Cornelison on
1/6/2014 1:46 PM
A graph showing the relationship between eruption volume and time between eruptions, using the models presented in Carrichi and others (2014). Notice how for buoyancy-driven eruptions (in blue), the time between eruptions doesn’t vary much across a wide range of volumes. Image: Figure 3 from Caricchi and others (2014), Nature Geoscience. The study’s upshot is that Yellowstone Caldera (and the other 20+ supervolcano sites) are more likely than previously thought to explode without the aid of an earthquake. A big one could drastically lower global...
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By John Cornelison on
11/7/2013 8:11 AM
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By John Cornelison on
11/5/2013 8:58 AM
The Northwest faces poorer forest health (more forest fires), earlier snowmelt (lower stream flows) and raised sea levels (eroding coasts), according to Monday’s release of the Northwest Climate Assessment Report (NWCAR, 2013). Impacts might total some $14 billion dollars...
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By John Cornelison on
10/22/2013 7:59 AM
VashonBePrepared Community Summit Leaders from the Vashon community came together for the first VashonBePrepared Community Summit Saturday morning at Chautauqua School. Moderated by President Rick Wallace and Vice-President Bob Smueles, the group brainstormed for over 3 hours on current community need if a disaster were to befall us. Specifically the group...
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By John Cornelison on
10/18/2013 4:34 PM
Saturday VashonBePrepared will hold it’s annual membership meeting, open to the public, from 8:30 am – noon at Chautauqua Elementary School. Purpose Develop a consensus among the community leaders on: What the Island community needs to survive and recover from an incident that would impact the entire community, and How best to meet those needs. This will be followed by the requisite VashonBePrepared...
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By John Cornelison on
10/18/2013 4:13 PM
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By John Cornelison on
9/16/2013 4:44 PM
You can share your views about transportation needs with Senate Transportation Committee members at public forums on Tuesday, Sept. 17 in Bellevue and Monday, Oct. 14 in downtown Seattle. These “listening sessions” are part of a statewide tour hosted by the Washington State Department of Transportation. At least half of each meeting...
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By John Cornelison on
9/12/2013 8:12 PM
King County has told the local cities that it does not plan to provide snowplowing services to Tier 2 through 5 roads this winter due to budget cuts. Click here to see which roads in unincorporated King County are currently identified as Tier 1 through 5, and to see contact information for questions. (Hint only Vashon Highway is rated as a tier one road.) The County may in fact plow as resources become available, but is suggesting that it may not be in a timely fashion. Details on the county’s ice & snow program can be found at: www.kingcounty.gov/transportation/kcdot/Roads/SnowAndIce.aspx We are unaware of actual staffing changes locally so...
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By John Cornelison on
9/10/2013 7:22 AM
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A PROCLAMATION Time and again, America faces crises that test our readiness and challenge our resolve -- from natural disasters like hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods to shootings, cyber incidents, and even acts of terrorism. While my Administration is working tirelessly to avert national tragedies, it is every American's responsibility to be prepared. By planning for emergencies, individuals can protect themselves...
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By John Cornelison on
9/5/2013 10:03 AM
While scientists can't predict when a great earthquake producing a pan-Pacific tsunami will occur, thanks to new tools being developed by federal and state officials, scientists can now offer more accurate insight into the likely impacts when tsunamis occur. This knowledge can lead officials and the public to reduce the risk of the future tsunamis that will impact the west coast. Maximum current speeds for the Port of Los Angeles (POLA) and the Port of Long Beach (POLB), according to the SAFRR Tsunami Scenario. In the POLA, currents are strongest at Angels Gate, the Cabrillo Marina, the Boat Yard, and the old Navy Yard. Once...
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By John Cornelison on
8/7/2013 8:28 AM
Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs) provide free notifications of imminent threats to safety or missing persons to your mobile device. In order to receive WEAs, you must have a capable device and be located in an area (e.g., county) targeted by Authorized Senders to receive one of 3 types of alerts: Presidential Alerts – Alerts issued by the President or a designee; Imminent Threat Alerts – Alerts that include severe man-made or natural disasters, such as hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, etc., where an imminent threat to life or property exists; and AMBER Alerts– Alerts that meet the U.S. Department of Justice's criteria to help law enforcement search for and locate...
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By John Cornelison on
7/15/2013 7:55 AM
As our culture becomes ever more dependent on electricity, the current distribution system has a huge vulnerability – induced current from external electrical flux. One source of such an Electro Magnetic Pulse (EMP) would be a nuclear bomb (or a dedicated gamma ray bomb that North Korea...
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By John Cornelison on
7/11/2013 1:30 PM
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By John Cornelison on
7/5/2013 7:50 AM
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By John Cornelison on
7/4/2013 1:13 PM
Overview of Vashon's Status and Systems for Disaster Response This 3-hour overview, VashonBePrepared 101, is a great introduction to the systems in place on Vashon for major disasters, and an update on the status of our readiness. It's free and open to the public, with a packed agenda covering all the components we have assembled here to work in partnership...
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By John Cornelison on
6/24/2013 9:56 AM
Some 50 cyclists tested their disaster preparedness skills at the 1st Seattle Disaster Relief Trial. It was held near the University of Washington on June 21st. According to their Facebook event listing: “Imagine a 7.2-magnitude earthquake hitting the Seattle Fault. Freeway overpasses crumble, a Lake Washington sieche (oscillating wave) takes chunks out of bridges. Motor vehicles are rendered useless, but following the example of Sandy Relief by bike, Seattle residents with bikes and trailers or cargo bikes are able to transport food and medical...
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By John Cornelison on
6/21/2013 9:27 AM
The U.S. National Climatic Data Center’s (NCDC) announced that according to their 2012 weather and climate disasters information, 2012 saw 11 weather and climate disaster events each with losses exceeding $1 billion in damages. This makes 2012 the second costliest year since 1980, with a total of more than $110 billion in damages throughout the year. The 2012 total damages rank only behind 2005, which incurred $160 billion in damages due in part to four devastating land-falling hurricanes. The 2012 billion-dollar events included seven severe weather and tornado events, two tropical...
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By John Cornelison on
6/17/2013 10:39 AM
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By John Cornelison on
6/17/2013 6:09 AM
Last October, the American Red Cross released a free Wildfire App for iPhone and Android platforms, which allows users to track blazes this summer. Features: • Step-by-step instructions let you know what to do even before/during/after an wildfire, even if no data connectivity. • Get notified about current wildfires or wildfire-conducive weather. • Let family and friends know...
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By John Cornelison on
6/14/2013 10:07 AM
If you have even been curious about the potential impact of all those various earthquakes that geologists have identified – and see which might have the largest impact for a general region like Vashon Island (i.e., parcel level damage estimates are NOT supported!), then check out the State Seismic Hazards Catalog. ...
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By John Cornelison on
6/14/2013 8:28 AM
Canadian scientists apply new methods to better understand Pacific coast earthquakes Understanding the size and frequency of large earthquakes along the Pacific coast of North America is of great importance, not just to scientists, but also to government planners and the general public. The only way to predict the frequency and intensity of the ground motion expected from large and giant "megathrust " earthquakes along Canada's west coast is to analyze the geologic record. A new study...
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By John Cornelison on
6/14/2013 6:34 AM
The Vashon Maury Island Radio Club and VashonBePrepared invites the public to visit Vashon’s amateur radio volunteers at our 2013 Field Day event. Vashon Hams gather at Sunrise Ridge on June 22 & 23 for Field Day’s 80th anniversary to compete in the largest single amateur radio and emergency preparedness exercise, with over 35,000 operators participating throughout the US & Canada. Local ham volunteers...
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By John Cornelison on
2/12/2013 3:04 AM
Every spring in Tacoma there is a great conference for meeting and sharing ideas with a wide range of disaster experts. Early Bird Registration closes at the end of the month! Why Attend Successful management of emergencies can only be accomplished through effective and pre-established partnerships. This conference offers you the opportunity to develop those relationships; gain the necessary information to develop your response, recovery, and mitigation plans; create your preparedness messaging to those you serve; and gain valuable insight into lessons learned and established best practices. This is the largest and most successful regional emergency management preparedness conference in the Pacific Northwest – attracting attendees from: Emergency...
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By John Cornelison on
1/24/2013 9:26 AM
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) is pleased to announce a 1 ½ hour webinar on Reducing the Risks of Nonstructural Earthquake Damage (FEMA E-74). Please join and share this opportunity with other individuals and organizations who might be interested. See details below and in the attachment. Webinar Description Nonstructural components of buildings include all elements that are not part of the structural...
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By John Cornelison on
1/19/2013 4:53 PM
Congratulations to Vashon islander Daniel Luechtefeld for Training to support his community, Volunteering (with VashonBePrepared, VIFR, VMIRC, ARES and other community organizations), Responding and actually saving a neighbor’s life, and Volunteering to help make a video of that dramatic rescue. Daniel has served on the VashonBePrepared Board for a couple years now as the Vashon Maury Island Radio Club (VMIRC)’s...
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By John Cornelison on
1/3/2013 8:32 AM
The Main Himalayan Thrust has historically been responsible for a magnitude 8 to 9 earthquake every several hundred years. (Illustration: Warren Caldwell) Will a megathrust earthquake strike the NW in 2013? New Years brings out speculators, and this time it is the Seattle PI, which quotes the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network’s director John Vidale and Stanford University geophysics professor Paul Segall whose studies indicate some potential links between "episodic tremor and slip,"or ETS activity and subsequent quakes. According to the Stanford release: ...
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By John Cornelison on
12/7/2012 10:22 AM
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