Experts warn that we need to prepare now
No one likes to think that he or she will ever experience a catastrophic event — a natural or manmade disaster that puts lives and communities at risk. Yet we’ve seen it happen again and again — Superstorm Sandy, Hurricane Katrina, the tsunami in Japan, the earthquake in Haiti. Closer to home, we’ve had forest fires in Southern and Central Oregon, train derailments in Eastern Oregon, flooding at the coast and, decades ago, an explosion in Roseburg when a truck loaded with fertilizer and dynamite caught fire.
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© 2000-2021 The Ford Family Foundation. Anne Kubisch, President; Mandy Elder, Editor; Megan Monson, Assistant Editor
Experts warn that we need to prepare now
No one likes to think that he or she will ever experience a catastrophic event — a natural or manmade disaster that puts lives and communities at risk. Yet we’ve seen it happen again and again —... Read More
Bringing home the lessons
When the editors of Community Vitality began researching this issue, we learned much more than we ever expected. We know that the possibility of a disaster is always present. We know that earthquakes... Read More
The plan for resilience
Many of you have heard about it. Some of you may have even seen it. The elephant … sitting quietly … in the corner of the room. The elephant is, of course, just a metaphor. A metaphor for one of the... Read More
Did we learn anything?
The Japanese earthquake served as an unfortunate dress rehearsal for the state of Oregon. When the tsunami alert went out after the 2011 earthquake, the Oregon coast was included in the list of areas... Read More
The first minutes after a quake
Yumei Wang vividly remembers being in a lighting store in California during an earthquake. The ceiling was covered with chandeliers and other lighting fixtures. “The shaking made the whole ceiling... Read More
From floods to fires
Within the last few years, the Northwest has been hit by wildfires, flooding, mudslides, train derailments and chemical spills. In 1959 downtown Roseburg blew up. Read More
A storage solution for supplies
Thanks to an innovative pilot project sponsored by the city of Cannon Beach, North Coast residents have some help in place today in case of an earthquake or tsunami tomorrow. Read More
Knowledge of adults, energy of youth
The competition may have been lighthearted but Emma Wampler’s speech wasn’t — it was deadly serious. The 2013 Miss Bandon Cranberry Festival contestant spoke about preparing for disaster. Read More
‘the government won’t be there’
Wayne Stinson's message at a recent disaster preparedness meeting on the southern Oregon coast was simple: “You need to be ready, because the government won’t be there for you.” Read More
Shaken into action
Amid all the damage reports from Haiti’s January 2010 earthquake, Yvette Blanchette heard one thing loud and clear: 39,000 pregnant women were homeless. Read More
Your most immediate source of support
Many of us grew up in tight-knit neighborhoods, where everyone knew each other. Those neighborhoods may not be as common today as they once were, but they can make a big difference in how, or how... Read More
Create your plan
We are offering to mail you hard copies of FEMA brochures detailing what you need to do to prepare. Read More
What exactly does ‘resilience’ mean?
All cities deal differently with shocks. Some will return quickly. Others will take much longer. And even others will never fully recover. What makes this true? Why do some cities never recover,... Read More
Put your emergency kit together
Here's what the American Red Cross recommends to have in your kit in the event of an emergency or disaster. Read More
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