I would be surprised if any of our members missed the news about the earthquake near Anchorage …. and even more surprised if any of our members failed to “make the connection” to our geologically precarious situation here on Whidbey Island. The experts have warned us about our proximity to the Cascadia Fault nearby under the Pacific Ocean …… not to mention the Juan De Fuca Fault which is right under us! This week’s Anchorage quake would be a “slap on the wrist” compared to the magnitude of the shaker that we might experience at any time.
Over the last four years we have regularly focused one of our quarterly meetings every year on the risk of an earthquake and encouraged our members to take at least the basic precautions. We are fortunate that in 1993 the Federal Emergency Management Agency created a Community Emergency Response Team Program (CERT) to educate volunteers about disaster preparedness and we are doubly fortunate that we can access that program right here on Whidbey Island. Our local expert on CERT is Fire Chief “Rusty” Palmer of the South Whidbey Fire / EMS and he has agreed to speak to us at our last Quarterly Members’ Meeting this year – 5:00 to 7:00 pm on Wednesday, December 19th at the Coupeville Library. If Anchorage proves to be just a “wake up call” for us on Whidbey we would be foolish not to be ready when our time comes!
Warm regards, Jim Patton