Shake It Up: Local Governments and Earthquake Preparedness

September 23, 2021
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MRSC insight


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Emergency management


The 2.3 magnitude earthquake that struck the Tri-Cities last July, as well as the 4.6 magnitude quake that was felt in West Washington in July 2019, timely remind residents of the state how geologically active it is our region is. Although these quakes were relatively small, history suggests that stronger quakes have hit the region regularly.

The prospect of preparing for such a quake may seem daunting, so here are some concrete strategies local governments in Washington can use to prepare.

Practice, practice, practice: The Great ShakeOut and other earthquake exercises

RCW 38.52.070 requires local governments in Washington to adopt contingency plans, but does not mandate that regular exercises or “table-top exercises” be performed to go through them. However, regular practice of such exercises should be carried out by all local governments. It is vital to practice not only how to behave during an earthquake, but also how to deal with the situation after an earthquake. The earthquake itself may only last seconds or minutes, but it can take weeks, months, or even years for a community to fully recover.

Earthquake exercises mainly focus on teaching people to drop to the floor, take cover under the nearest table or desk, and hold on to something (drop, cover, hold on). While these instructions are simple, practicing what to do in the moment of an earthquake increases the likelihood that people will remember what to do and how to do it quickly.

A good opportunity for an earthquake drill is during the Great Washington ShakeOut, which will take place on October 21, 2021 this year. This event takes place annually in mid-October and is part of International ShakeOut Day, which is sponsored in part by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the US Geological Survey (USGS).

Attending the Great ShakeOut is a great way to make sure your employees know what to do when an earthquake hits, and it’s an example for the community. Local governments should coordinate with local businesses, churches, schools, and other community groups and encourage them to participate in the annual Great ShakeOut exercise.

The Great Washington ShakeOut Local Government resource page provides a wealth of information for local governments to use in planning their wells, including the following materials to facilitate drilling and increase well participation and reach:

Whether or not your community chooses to participate in the Great ShakeOut Drill, schedule regular, smaller drills throughout the year.

Lessons from “Cascadia Rising”

Regular exercises can also help local governments practice what to do after an earthquake. Going through the basic steps of your jurisdiction’s contingency plan ensures that everyone knows their role during an emergency and can identify areas for improvement or new weaknesses. While a full emergency exercise may not be feasible, it is helpful to even take the time to do a talk-through or “tabletop” exercise.

In 2016, FEMA conducted Cascadia Rising, a massive, cross-state disaster preparedness exercise that simulates the response to a major earthquake (this exercise will be conducted again in 2022). The report noted that many areas need improvement in Washington, including the need for improved inter-legal cooperation. While the full report is available for viewing, here are some of the key areas recommended for improvement:

  • There was insufficient coordination between departments and neighboring jurisdictions resulting in either no or duplicate responses.
  • The prioritization of resources across departments and authorities was not specified in advance in emergency plans.
  • Agencies did not have access to basic partner contact information when their computer systems failed.
  • Authorities did not have emergency communication skills, such as access to amateur radios and personnel trained to use them to meet their needs when normal communication modes were down.
  • The agencies have insufficiently detailed earthquake emergency plans or an earthquake-specific emergency plan was missing.
  • Lack of flexibility in contingency plans, especially for unforeseen circumstances, resulted in slower response times from the authorities.
  • Public messaging options Government workers did not adequately communicate changing conditions or life support information.
  • Regional partners were confused about the tribal disaster declaration process and the roles and responsibilities involved.

Citizen Resources

Although there are many general earthquake safety resources available on the Internet, a city or district-based website devoted to earthquake and tsunami response provides citizens with essential information specific to their jurisdiction.

The current recommendation from the Washington Military Department – Emergency Management Division is that all Washington residents have an emergency kit at home with sufficient supplies to at least supply them two weeks. You should also consider having similar emergency supplies readily available at your local community office in the event that an earthquake occurs during the work day and staff cannot return home.

Here are some examples of city and county websites that provide details on earthquake safety and response:

Many local governments also operate subscription-based text alert systems to communicate with the public about emergencies, such as emergency calls. B. Clallam County, Pierce County, Seattle, Spokane, and Yelm.

Post-tsunami earthquake safety

Coastal Washington is at risk from a tsunami following a major seismic event in the Cascadia subduction zone. While all coastal areas are aware of this danger, some have decided to take additional steps to prepare their communities, including the following examples:

  • The Ocosta Elementary School in Westport, WA was designed to withstand a magnitude 9 earthquake and serve as a public sanctuary for a tsunami. Voters approved a $ 13.8 million loan to replace their existing elementary school with the new building.
  • The Tokeland Tsunami Tower is a tsunami tower that provides safety for more than 400 people in the event of a tsunami in Tokeland, WA. The Shoalwater Bay Tribe teamed up with a Seattle-based engineering firm and FEMA on this project.

What to do with unreinforced masonry buildings

Collapsing buildings and falling objects are the leading causes of injury and death in earthquakes, so making buildings as safe as possible is an appropriate first line of defense. Unreinforced masonry buildings (URMs) have masonry (brick, concrete block, stone, etc.) walls with no embedded steel bars to reinforce their structural integrity. They represent a major safety risk in the event of an earthquake, as the masonry can crumble even with minor vibrations and fall either into the building or out onto the street.

This interactive map shows all of the URMs, Suspected URMs, and Reinforced URMs across Washington. Local governments should take note of the URMs in their districts and work with building owners to develop plans for retrofitting these structures. While this effort is undoubtedly important, it is also time-consuming and it can be difficult to find funding.

The Department of Construction & Inspections of the City of Seattle has done extensive work in this area; A confirmed list of URM buildings is available online and in 2017 the ministry recommended a 7-13 year deadline for landlords to make seismic upgrades to URM buildings. In 2019 she presented funding opportunities for URM retrofits. The department worked with the city leadership to come up with a joint resolution to begin the process of developing and implementing a mandatory URM upgrade program, but the way forward has been due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and its ensuing Uncertain budget constraints.

Additional resources

The Washington Great ShakeOut Drill will take place on Thursday, October 21, 2021 at 10:21 a.m. Individuals and organizations can register to participate.

MRSC is a private, not-for-profit organization serving local government in Washington State. Eligible government agencies in Washington state can use our free Ask MRSC in-person service to get answers to legal, political, or financial questions.

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