Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Disaster Preparedness, Mitigation, Response and Recovery Workshop in Clackamas

To honor the 10th anniversary of 9/11, there will be a day of Disaster Preparedness, Mitigation, Response and Recovery Workshops at New Hope Community Church in Clackamas from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

Sign up to help hone your skills in building community resilience and increase your effectiveness in all phases of emergency management. This workshop is open to all.

Register to attend this disaster training and participate in recognizing the 10th Anniversary of 9/11 in a meaningful, proactive and life-saving way. Click here to register:
http://disastertraining.eventbrite.com

New Hope Community church is located at
11731 SE Stevens Rd, Portland, OR 97086

Storm King Incident Survivor to Speak at Scappoose High

Kim Lightley is a surviving member of the US Forest Service Prineville Hotshots from the July 6th, 1994 Storm King Mountain Fire in Glenwood Springs, Colorado.

Please join us for this presentation as Kim describes her experiences that day, and the steps she took to gain strength and overcome the trauma of being a surviving co-worker. The presentation will take place this Thursday, August 25th at 7pm in the Scappoose High School Auditorium.

Please contact Division Chief Ron Youngberg if you have questions at (503) 397-2990.

This talk is geared toward public safety, but interested individuals are welcome to attend as well.

National Weather Service Open House this Saturday

Ever wanted to see where our weather watches and warnings are issued from? Curious about what tools the National Weather Services uses to come up with their forecasts? Well, this Saturday you have the opportunity to find out.

The National Weather Service is hosting an open house for the public at their office in Portland this Saturday, August 27th from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.

You can drop in anytime during the event and stay as long as you want. The NWS will have 10-15 minute presentations at the top and bottom of every hour (e.g., 11:00, 11:30, etc) and offer tours of the facility. You're invited to discuss topics of interest to you with staff on hand.

Some of the areas you can tour and topics discussed or demonstrated are:

Weather Satellite Imagery
Doppler Weather Radar
NOAA Weather Radio (What is it and why do I need one)
Real-time River Stage Displays
Getting Weather from the Internet


Please drop in and say hello to our partners at the NWS. The address is below.

NWS Portland
5241 NE 122nd Ave
Portland, OR 97230

Thursday, August 11, 2011

E. Coli Strawberry Sales Locations

The Oregon Department of Agriculture has released a list of locations that sold strawberries tainted with E. coli.

Click here to view the list: http://www.oregon.gov/ODA/FSD/strawberries.shtml

Three of the locations were in Columbia County.

Sixteen people in Washington, Clatsop, Multnomah counties and Northwestern Oregon have been infected in the past month. The farm that grew the berries no longer has any of the of them on the market.

Anyone who thinks they might have tainted berries is encouraged to throw them out if the berries were purchased during the dates outlined in the list.

Monday, July 18, 2011

Scappoose-Vernonia Road Closure

Scappoose-Vernonia Road closure begins today, July 18th, and lasts through Friday July 29th. There is no local detour. Alternate travel routes are Apiary Road and the old Pittsburg Road. Please be aware that the old Pittsburg Road is a gravel road.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Ready Your Business

Did you know that up to 40% of businesses affected by a disaster never reopen?

If you own a business, know someone who does or would like to see your workplace be more prepared for disasters, FEMA has designed a webpage to help.

FEMA's Ready Business site has information and free resources to prepare your business, workplace and staff for the next disaster. Just click the blue text to go there.


Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Upcoming Out-of-County Classes

Our disaster preparedness partners have informed us about several upcoming training opportunities.

  • CERT Train the Trainer- Hosted by Marylhurst College, August 3-5th
  • Mt Hood Community College, Disaster Skills Training and Practical Exercise series. MRC members are strongly encouraged to attend as well as CERT to attend (this training would qualify as a CERT Practical), Sunday, June 19th (Fathers Day) from 0800-1230
  • A Moulage Class (realistic injury creation) - Same day as the Mt Hood Community College Disaster Training listed above - Sunday, June 19th (Fathers Day) from 0800-1230 (students will have to choose one or the other).

Registration is open to anyone. Please see the flyers below for specifics on each class.








Monday, May 23, 2011

High River Levels--Use Caution Around Water

The National Weather Service (NWS) has informed us that the Columbia River will continue to run high for the rest of the week into the weekend, and will likely reach flood stage. However, there is no cause for worry at this time.

The upcoming Memorial Day weekend means outdoor recreation for many people. However, with high, swift river conditions, it's important to use extra caution around water. The water level will be higher up on banks and and move faster, carrying debris. If you plan on being near the Columbia this week or weekend, be aware of what the river is doing and watch your footing around the water.

Columbia County Emergency Management is working with the NWS to closely monitor the river levels and we will issue updates as necessary.

You can stay informed of river conditions via the NWS Northwest River Forecast Center website.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Zombie Apocalypse

Yes, that's right. Now even the CDC is encouraging folks to get ready for when the brain-eaters attack. Check out the CDC's page for how you can prepare for the Zombie Apocalypse and other, not so far-fetched, disasters. Click on the picture below to go there.

If you're ready for a zombie apocalypse, then you're ready for any emergency. emergency.cdc.gov

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

31st Anniversary of Mt. St. Helens Eruption

Thirty one years ago Mt. St. Helens reminded the world of the very real power and threat of volcanoes.

If you weren't alive to see the blast, or just want to relive it, KGW has compiled a page of video clips and photos of the eruption and subsequent ones in the years since. Click here to visit the KGW page.

The Boston Globe has a page with additional, poignant shots of the eruption and aftermath. Click here to view them.

Some of those who lost their lives in the eruption were representatives of a volunteer group that EM works with very closely-amateur radio operators. To read more about the ham radio operators that died in the eruption, click here. Their story is the third entry on the page.

Finally, do you know what to do the next time a local volcano erupts? Our local Oregon Red Cross has a wealth of information on how to prepare. Click here to visit the Red Cross page.