The greatest looming threat to Wasco County from earthquakes comes from the Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ), predicted to destroy vast swaths of western Oregon, with significant impacts to transportation, commerce, communications, and daily life. With such destruction to the west, the east plans include addressing large volumes of internally displaced people and how to assist in the response and recovery of those regions. Emergency Managers conduct tabletop exercises with multiple partner agencies. Lessons learned from large-scale, community-level disasters like the 2020 wildfires have shown that a significant role in land use planning will provide appropriate guidance on post-disaster recovery, from temporary housing solutions to reconstruction.
Many smaller and far less impactful earthquakes also do occur in Wasco County.
General Information
- Oregon Public Broadcasting (video, 55:51)
- IRIS/OSU Earthquake Science (video, 5:11)
- National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program
- Pacific Northwest Seismic Network
- Recent Earthquakes in the Pacific Northwest (interactive map)
- Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA)
Business & Organizations
- Small Business Administration (SBA)