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Everybody should have an Emergency Preparedness Kit.

In California, they call this a 72-Hour kit because that is the typical time it takes for government and utilities to rebound after a typical California earthquake.

Here in Oregon, we face a different kind of earthquake. One which potentially will do a lot more damage, and devastate a much larger region (about 84,000 square miles west of the Cascades, from southern Canada to northern California). One which will cause a measurable wobble in the Earth's orbit, and create a gravity scar on the Earth. This is a disaster far larger in scope than hurricane Katrina. As was the case in New Orleans, we can reasonably expect to be on our own for much longer than 72 hours before outside help begins to trickle in (Portland will be just one of many cities affected by a Cascadia Megathrust Earthquake). At a minimum, we recommend 240-Hour kits (10 days). Even a 30-day kit may not be enough.

A 72-Hour kit should include everything you, your family and pets would need in order to spend 72 hours on your own. Scale that up for 240-Hour or 30-day kits. This is not always straightforward. For food, it is a simple matter of storing more. While it may not be practical to store a 30-day supply of water, having as large a reservoir as practical, along with the knowledge and means to collect rainwater, make a solar still, treat and filter water, etc. is invaluable in an emergency. You may find there are things you cannot easily do without for 30-days which you can easily omit for three days.

By now you may be thinking you’ll just evacuate the area if help doesn’t arrive soon. How? There will be no commercial air traffic in or out. Roads and rail lines are likely to be impassible, and fuel will likely be limited to what you have in your tank. A tsunami ravaged coast may be impassible, even on foot. Columbia river shipping channels would need dredging, once the waters settle down, before shipping lanes can be reopened. And it’s a long walk to get east of the Cascades. For most people, evacuation is unlikely to be feasible for weeks or months after a M9+ quake.

Here are some resources on the web to get you started in creating your own Emergency Preparedness Kit:

• READYAmerica – US Department of Homeland Security’s “Get a kit; Make a plan; Be informed” website
• 72 Hour Emergency Preparedness Kit – Colorado Office of Emergency Management
• Are You Prepared? – San Francisco Office of Emergency Services
• 72-Hour Family Emergency Kit – Colorado Division of Emergency Management
• Disaster Preparedness – American Red Cross
• Pacific NW Earthquake resource page