Disaster Safety Blog

Oregon scientists shaken up by deep earthquake

An earthquake deep below the mountains of southwestern Oregon could shake up what seismologists know about the types of earthquakes likely to strike in the region, the Mail Tribune reports today. It wasn't the size of the quake, but rather the depth that caught the attention of scientists.

The magnitude 4.1 earthquake was recorded at 1:52 a.m. Thursday in the mountains 30 miles northwest of Grants Pass near the Josephine-Curry county line, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It happened about 24 miles below the Earth's surface and resulted from the Juan de Fuca plate, a vast slab of basalt on the ocean floor, sliding beneath the North American continental plate, then breaking deep underneath the Earth's surface.

"It's the only one of this kind recorded within miles of that location since 1833," Ian Madin, chief scientist at Oregon's Department of Geology and Mineral Industries, told the newspaper.

No major damage was reported. Safeguard your property from earthquake damage with information from the Institute for Business & Home Safety.

More than 130 people reported feeling this quake on Pacific Northwest Seismograph Network's "Did you feel it?" Web page, according to the newspaper. The bulk of the reports came from Grants Pass, the population center closest to the quake. But the reports of strongest shaking came from the coast in Gold Beach, Agness and Coquille.

"When the source is that far down, it affects a fairly large area and the effect can feel much the same over the whole large area," Bill Steele, a seismologist at the seismograph network's University of Washington office, told the newspaper.

In the Puget Sound, deep earthquakes caused the 6.8 magnitude Nisqually quake in 2001, which resulted in $4 billion worth of damage.

"People had speculated whether that could happen under Oregon," Madin said. "There haven't been well-documented instances, but this could be one."

Scientists might argue about this quake for years, even though it had little effect on people, he said.

"Don't worry about this one," Madin said. "Think of the big Cascadia zone one."

A report prepared last year on the potential for deep earthquakes along the Cascadia subduction zone, a long fault in the ocean floor that separates the Juan de Fuca and North America plates and runs from British Columbia to Northern California, used Beaverton as the most likely location for a massive quake in Oregon.

"There's a higher probability there," said Steele, one of the participants in the Cascadia Region Earthquake Workgroup, which produced the report. "But all of Oregon is earthquake country."

Maintenance is key to water efficiency

Improving water efficiency through such things as routine maintenance may do more to slow climate change than other measures surrounding energy conservation, according to an article published today at GreenerBuildings.com.

"Some of the cheapest greenhouse gas emission reductions available seem to be not energy-efficiency programs, but water-efficiency programs," Peter Gleick, president of the California-based Pacific Institute, a global water research center, told reporter Ben Block, a staff writer with the WorldWatch Institute.

Gleick notes, for example, that it may be cheaper for consumers to reduce the overall hot water usage in their homes than to replace their incandescent light bulbs with more energy-efficient alternatives. Earlier this week, the Disaster Safety Blog profiled another article that details just how much money and water can be saved by replacing an aging water heater - not to mention reducing the risk of water damage when an older water heater fails.

Water maintenance extends beyond water heaters, according to Block's article, which goes on to quote David Zoldoske, director of the Center for Irrigation Technology at California State University-Fresno, who has led efforts to educate central California farmers about proper pump maintenance since 2001. With the help of utility company subsidies, the project has helped improve the efficiency of several irrigation pumps, saving 19.4 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually between 2002 and 2005, Zoldoske said.

Learning to maintain our water supply sources and limit our use could have a positive outcome in several ways, David Roland-Holst, an economist at the University of California at Berkeley, told Block.

"Reducing urban and other end-user water intensity could conserve both water and energy ... saving households money on water and energy and creating jobs elsewhere in the economy," Roland-Holst said.

Learn more about the costs and potential for water damage associated with water heaters and toilets with reports from the Institute for Business & Home Safety. This spring IBHS will release a second round of reports involving the failures of washing machines, plumbing supply lines and drain systems - all of which can contribute to property damage.

Tornado season begins next week in the south

IBHS photo taken following a deadly tornado outbreak in Alabama in March 2007.

With the beginning of spring tornado season less than a week away, residents in the south are urged to take the proper precautions.

According to the National Weather Service (NWS), Alabama has two distinct tornado seasons — one that lasts from March through May and another that begins in November and ends in December. While tornadic activity is a threat, straight-line winds that accompany severe thunderstorms also pose a risk to properties.

“Only a few specialty buildings are designed to withstand the direct impact of a strong tornado, but good construction choices can increase the likelihood that at least part of a home will remain standing to provide some shelter," according to Dr. Tim Reinhold, senior vice president of research and chief engineer at the Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS). "Strengthened homes near the storm's edge would have a good chance of surviving intact or with minor cosmetic damage.”

IBHS recommends the following property protection measures to help prepare for tornadoes or other disasters and organize important information to speed recovery if necessary.

• When building, renovating or reroofing have the contractor make sure straps connect the roof to the walls, and when possible, connect the walls to the foundation. This type of continuous load path that ties the building together and anchors it to the foundation is commonplace in hurricane-prone areas but would also increase protection from severe windstorms such as tornadoes.
• Consider installing a safe room in high risk areas; FEMA and the National Storm Shelter Association (NSSA) offer guidelines. 
• Identify a small interior room with no windows for shelter when a tornado threatens.
• Prepare an emergency kit and store it in that space. 
• Conduct a home inventory (http://www.knowyourstuff.org/).
• Create a business continuity plan (http://www.disastersafety.org/OFB_Training/).
• Purchase portable NOAA Weather Radios to use during outdoor activities, as well as in homes and offices.

Earthquakes remind Oklahomans to get prepared

For the second time in five days, a minor earthquake has reminded Oklahoma residents that the Meers Fault is still active.

A magnitude 3.3 earthquake was recorded at 10:14 p.m. Tuesday night at the McAlester Ammunition Depot in Pittsburg County, Okla., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The epicenter was at the depot, about six miles northwest of Savanna. No major damage was reported.

On Sunday, a 3.2 magnitude quake was recorded about three miles southwest of Lahoma. It also did not cause major damage. According to the Oklahoma Geological Survey, the state averaged 56 quakes a year from 1977 to 2008.

Damage to interior contents, such as large televisions, appliances and wall hangings, is the most common type of loss following a minor to moderate earthquake, according to the Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS). Learn more about how to protect these valuable items with low-cost retrofit options created by IBHS engineers.

New report analyzes increased risks to properties in three states

Researchers at the University of Oregon have analyzed what the costs would be for New Mexico, Oregon and Washington households if carbon emissions are not reduced in the coming years. One major area of concern identified by the research is the increased risks to properties posed by more frequent floods and wildfires.

The UO's Program on Climate Economics is guided by a steering committee of 19 academic and private economists from Oregon and other western states.  Ernie Niemi, lead author of the report, is a principal with ECONorthwest, a fellow with the UO's Climate Leadership Initiative (CLI) and a member of the steering committee.

The university worked with ECONorthwest, an economic consulting firm, and found that uncontrolled climate change would impose costs on these states in a number of ways, including impacting the value of some assets and revenue streams in the forms of increased property damage due to more frequent winter floods or wildfires.

For example:

• Increased wildland fire costs in Oregon: $206 million in 2020; $423 million in 2040; and $941 million in 2080
• Increased flood and storm damages in Oregon: $64 million in 2020; $132 million in 2040; and $309 million in 2080

Researchers estimate climate change would cost the state of Oregon a minimum of $3.3 billion annually by 2020, $5.1 billion by 2040, and $9.8 billion by 2080. This would represent more than 4 percent of current median household income in 2020, more than 5 percent by 2040, and more than 7 percent by 2080.

Similar costs were found in the other states. The team concluded that climate change would cost the state of Washington at least $3.8 billion annually by 2020, or more than 2 percent of current median household income. These costs will rise to more than $6.5 billion in 2040 and to $12.9 billion by 2080.

Due to its location in the hotter, drier southwest, New Mexico's costs will be even more extreme. The team found that by 2020, households in New Mexico would incur, on average, annual climate change-related costs representing at least 8 percent of current median household income, 13 percent by 2040, and more than 29 percent by 2080.

Read the full reports for New Mexico, Oregon and Washington. Then, visit the Institute for Business & Home Safety to find solutions to minimizing the risk of property damage from flooding, wildfires and other natural and manmade disasters.

Utilities bore biggest brunt of ice storm damage, FEMA says

Damage from a January ice storm could reach a combined $700 million for the states of Arkansas and Kentucky, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

FEMA damage assessments are nearly completed and the majority of losses involved state utility services. In Kentucky, damage is expected to exceed $185 million, while costs likely will top $500 million in Arkansas.

The three major utilities in Arkansas say they will spend close to $460 million for repairs. Much of the cost is from the widespread collapse of power lines and utility poles. Only the nonprofit Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas, which estimated damages at $250 million, stands to receive any state or federal assistance.

The five-day storm resulted in repair costs nearly twice of those after the dual ice storms in late December 2000. This time, more than 40,000 electrical poles snapped or were damaged under the burden of the ice-laden wires or trees. The Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas replaced over 1,500 miles of electrical wire.

Owners of homes and businesses can limit their exposure to ice storm damage with property protection projects from the Institute for Business & Home Safety.

New project seeks creation of global, open source model for seismic risk assessment

A new five-year project aims to produce the world's first global, open source model for seismic risk assessment.

The Global Earthquake Model (GEM) project led by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and sponsored by the catastrophe risk modeling firm AIR Worldwide Corporation (AIR) brings together leading scientists from around the world to create open source models based on data sets and model components that are assembled using a systematic and uniform approach for all regions, according to a news release. Such data sets may include: clean historical catalogs and fault databases; data on ground motion observations for historical events; vulnerability of structures in different countries; and damage and loss information for historical events.

"The Global Earthquake Model project generates information of the highest standard through cooperation between many of the world's top earthquake experts," said Dr. Ross Stein, geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey & GEM co-founder.

All who face risk, from homeowners to governments, need accurate and transparent risk information before they will take action, Stein said.

"GEM creates an independent standard to estimate earthquake risk, raise awareness, promote mitigation, and stimulate insurance and risk sharing," he said.
 
Learn how to minimize earthquke damage to the exterior and interior of a building with a retrofit guide from the Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS). This guide is rated by leading earthquake experts as one of the best for reducing the types of damage caused by low and mid-level earthquakes, which mainly damage interior contents.

Georgia insured storm costs $35 billion, and rising?

Insured losses from last week's severe weather in Georgia will easily reach $35 million, according to the state's estimates.

“Actual losses are much higher when you consider things like infrastructure damage and uninsured losses,” Insurance and Fire Safety Commissioner John Oxendine said in the wake of tornados, hail and damaging winds that swept across Georgia a week ago today.

A total of 11 tornadoes tore through the state, causing the most severe damage in Thomas County, Oxendine said. At least $10 million in damage occurred in Thomas County and neighboring Grady County, where more than 100 homes, a private school, Southwestern State Hospital and commercial agricultural buildings were hit.

Gov. Sonny Perdue has declared four counties states of emergency. Hancock, Jasper, Thomas and Warren will get state aid in the form of equipment and personnel, particularly to help remove debris, state officials said.

Help reduce the risk of property damage due to high winds and hail with information from the Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS). Also available is a guide "You Can Go Home Again," which is designed to help in the recovery process.

Failing levees in sixteen states prompt action

Records from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers show 114 levees in 16 states failed maintenance inspections in the last two years. According to a report by Peter Eisler in USA Today, which requested the records, their deficiencies are so severe that it can be "reasonably foreseen" that they will not perform properly in a major flood. The Corps built most of the levees and turned them over to state and local governments, which were supposed to maintain them. Now, the Corps is getting tough and advising state and local levee authorities that they no longer qualify for federal rehabilitation aid if damaged by floodwaters. IBHS has for some time emphasized the need for improved education about levees and highlighted questions that need to be asked of local officials and community leaders, so business owners and citizens can make better decisions based on an accurate understanding of responsibility and risk.

Tornado Week helps viewers prepare for severe weather

It’s Tornado Week on The Weather Channel, and Jim Cantore’s report this morning focused on safer construction. He showed IBHS recommendations for connecting structures together to resist severe winds, and included an interview with Chief Engineer Tim Reinhold. The Weather Channel is also offering a free trial of its Notify! severe weather alert system. Tune in throughout the week or visit Weather.com for preparedness tips and survivor stories.