Disaster Management

The Clackamas County Office of Disaster Management is preparing for a major earthquake and we want you to be prepared, too. Please find a list of resources and steps you can take to better safeguard your home and family against disaster.

Preparing for an earthquake

There are lots of steps you can take to be as prepared as possible! Here are just some of the ways you can take care of yourself and loved ones ahead of time:

What to do during an earthquake

What not to do during an earthquake

An earthquake is a disconcerting thing. Many individuals react without thinking and take the wrong actions. Here's a quick list of actions to avoid:

Current County Plans

• Emergency Operations Plan
• Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan
• Community Wildfire Protection Plan

Completed Projects

• A Legal Framework: The Americans with Disabilities Act and Emergency Planning
• Mt Hood Coordination Plan

Video Resources

• When disaster happens, will your community be prepared?
• 1964 Christmas Flood Part 1: Clackamas-Willamette Confluence
• 1964 Christmas Flood Part 2: Sandy River
• When Christmas Was Canceled: Oregon City Shopping Center
• Delivering Mail During the 1964 Flood

If you're interested in volunteering to help others during a disaster, we encourage you to seek out opportunities with the organizations that support our communities. For more information, please reach out to these organizations to see if there are opportunities that will fit your skills:

• Clackamas County Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (CCVOAD)
• Member Organizations of the Oregon Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (OR VOAD)
• Clackamas County Amateur Radio Emergency Services (CARES)

Depending on where you live, there may also be opportunities for training and/or involvement in a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). We do not sponsor CERTs at the county level, but many agencies within the county offer CERT training. Each community will vary in the way they use their CERT in support of disaster preparedness, response and recovery. If you live within one of the following jurisdictions, please contact that agency directly for more information:

• Canby Fire District
• Estacada Fire District
• Hoodland Fire District
• Lake Oswego Fire Department
• Milwaukie
• Oak Lodge

By providing contact information, county residents can opt-in to receive critical emergency messaging via email, phone call and text during times of disasters. Important messages that could be relayed include notices to evacuate, shelter-in-place, shelter locations and other extremely important information.

The system is programmed with landline phone numbers, both listed and unlisted, from telephone company records. You must sign up here in order to receive alerts by:

• Cell phone
• Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP)
• Email
• TTY/TDD Devices

If the call is picked up by an answering machine, it will leave a message and not call back. If the number is busy or there is no answer, the system will try contacting your other contact methods. Once you have acknowledged receipt of a message on one device, the system will stop trying to contact your other devices.

By signing up, you can receive emergency notifications for your home or any other address (such as a business). You will only be contacted when the associated address is affected by an emergency.

Current Alerts

Our community is stronger when we prepare together. Take these steps now to help get your family ready and be ClackGO Prepared!

Tips

• Mobile phone users: You may receive a popup asking you if you want to use the Everbridge mobile app. If you do not want to use the app you may click cancel and you will be directed to the registration page.
• Remember to use the “sign up for notifications” button to create an account in the new system. Once you have created an account you will then be able to login to edit your information.

Sites have a limited quantity of bags on hand. Please purchase more if you will need a substantial quantity.

If your city is not listed, please contact your public works department to see if they have a pick up site.

County-sponsored sites

These sites are for all county residents. Check with the other sites to determine jurisdiction and availability.

City sites

These sites are for residents of the city.

A combination of weather, geology, hydrology and development (e.g., buildings and roads) create chronic seasonal flooding conditions along the Upper Sandy River.

In their natural state, rivers and streams move over time. This process is called channel migration. While the Sandy River was engineered in the 1960s to minimize channel migration, flood events continue to result in erosion and the river channel's periodic relocation.

Historic flood maps of the Upper Sandy River have not taken channel migration erosion into account. We recently added the Channel Migration and Historic Migration Zones to the existing FEMA flood maps.

Community survey

This 2016 survey asked residents about living with the Upper Sandy River, including about flood insurance, flood mitigation and preparedness priorities, and support for government efforts to reduce flood risks.

• Results summary
• Detailed results

Map your flood risk

Our map tool helps property owners along the Upper Sandy River evaluate the risk of flooding and channel migration to their property. If you own property in one of the following communities, you can assess your flood risk using the map tool:

• Marmot
• Brightwood
• Wemme
• Welches
• Rhododendron
• Zigzag

Channel Migration Zone (CMZ)
Located between the red lines, this is the broadest flood risk zone for the area along the Upper Sandy River. These boundaries show the possible amount of channel movement in a 1964-scale flood event when up to 600 feet of lateral erosion occurred.

Historic Migration Zone + 100-Foot Buffer
Located between the purple lines, this is an area where the Upper Sandy River has occupied when channels shifted during the 100-year period between 1914 and 2014. A 100-foot buffer was added to show the possible amount of channel movement in a repeat of a 2011-scale flood event when about 100 feet of lateral erosion occurred.

FEMA 100-Year Flood Zone
Indicated by the hatch marks on the map, this is the area defined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on Flood Insurance Rate Maps. This area is defined as a special flood hazard area with a 1% chance of flooding in any given year and requiring flood insurance coverage. FEMA periodically updates the 100-year Flood Zone; the Flood Zone on the current maps is the last adopted version.

Studies

We've commissioned studies to assess flood risks on the Upper Sandy River.

• Flood Erosion Mitigation Evaluation: Upper Sandy River
• Channel Migration Zone hazard maps: Upper Sandy River

Bank stabilization

Riprap is a layering of rocks intended to reduce erosion along a stretch of riverbank. Although widely used in the past, riprap can have negative impacts on the surrounding environment, as it tends to increase the speed of water flow along the armored stretch of river.

Engineering With Nature: Alternative Techniques to Riprap Bank Stabilization provides alternatives to riprap stabilization.

Community handbook

Restorative Flood Response Community Handbook, a project of the Sandy River Basin Watershed Council, this handbook is the product of several years of community dialog, research, and collaboration among residents, experts and agencies.

Flood of Information event

Flood of Information: Preparing for Winter on the Sandy River is a free event held each fall. This event is open to all Clackamas County residents, property owners and businesses interested in learning how to prepare for winter weather conditions and emergencies on Mt. Hood and surrounding flood-prone areas.

No Adverse Impacts (NAI)

No Adverse Impacts (NAI) seeks to expand our collective focus to include how changes to the built environment can impact other properties. NAI broadens property rights by protecting the property rights of those that would be adversely affected by the actions of others. NAI is a project of the Association of State Floodplain Managers.

Oregon Channel Migration Zone (CMZ) policy group

Final Report

Oregon Solutions Letter
A letter from Board of County Commissioners to request the support of Oregon Solutions to convene an Oregon Channel Migration Zone (CMZ) policy group to address the absence of state policies related to CMZs and their impact to public safety and healthy habitats.

The size of a landslide usually depends on the geology and the initial cause of the landslide.

Landslides can be broken down into two categories: rapidly moving or debris flows and slow-moving. Rapidly moving debris flows present the greatest risk to human life, and Debris Flow Warnings are issued when soil has been so saturated that it becomes unstable.

Weathering, the decomposition of geologic materials and human activity produces conditions conducive to landslides hazards in Clackamas County.

Homeowner policies normally do not provide coverage for landslide hazards. The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) provides coverage for flooding, but landslide coverage is minimal.

Landslide Hazards in Oregon fact sheet

Homeowner's guide to landslides

• Landslide and Debris Flow
• Landslide Hazards
• Landslide Hazards in Oregon
• Homeowner's Guide to Landslides: Recognition, Prevention, Control and Mitigation

Prepare! A Resource Guide
A 20-page booklet about ALL aspects of preparedness including sections for specific disasters developed by the Cascade Region chapter of the American Red Cross in collaboration with regional Emergency Management professionals.

Family Plan

Visit Ready.gov for information on planning ahead for disasters. En Español

Public Alerts also has a page dedicated to checklists related to disasters. 

Business Preparedness

• Getting Started
• Sample Plan
• Small Business Administration

Faith Community Preparedness

• Faith Community Emergency Plan Template

School Preparedness

• Emergency Planning

Neighborhoods

Neighborhoods that are prepared for emergencies and disaster situations save lives, reduce the severity of injuries and trauma and reduce property damage.  In addition, working together as a team and contributing as an individual develops stronger communities and improves the quality of life in the community.

• Map Your Neighborhood

If you're a Clackamas County resident or property owner, you have the option to buy flood insurance whether or not you live in a floodplain. Contact an insurance company to purchase flood insurance. You may also contact the Planning Division at 503-742-4500 for additional information about County floodplain regulations and their relationship to FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

Here's why . . .

• Homeowner and business insurance do not cover flood damage. Separate flood insurance must be purchased to cover flood damage and loss.
• Just a few inches of flood water can cause tens of thousands of dollars in damage not covered by homeowners insurance. Over the past 10 years, the average flood claim has been nearly $48,000.
• You're not just at risk of a flood if you live near a river; floods can also occur because of clogged drains, surface water back-ups and flash floods.
• You don't have to be in a floodplain to buy flood insurance. Because Clackamas County is in the National Flood Insurance Program, all residents and business owners in unincorporated areas are eligible to buy flood insurance.
• Flood insurance is the most economical protection from devastating financial loss from a flood. During the Sandy River flood in Jan. 2011, three houses were damaged beyond repair and one house was swept downstream. Three of those homeowners had up-to-date flood insurance coverage, including one outside of the mapped flood zone. The flood insurance covered most of their losses. The owner without flood insurance was left on their own to recover from the devastating loss.

Prepare for possible future floods

• Buy flood insurance if you're in any floodplain, and consider it even if you're not, especially if you're near the Sandy River.
• List all your personal property, including furnishings, clothing and valuables. Take pictures or video of your home and contents, especially high-value items; keep insurance policies, pictures, videos and lists of personal property in a safe place.
• Put together a 72-hour disaster supply kit. For details, go to the American Red Cross or Ready.gov.
• Consider ways to reduce long-term flooding risk, such as elevating your home or moving it to higher ground, building floodwalls or berms, flood-proofing and protecting utilities.
• Plan how you would evacuate in the threat of a flood, such as what to take with you, the safest evacuation route and where to go.

Help prevent floods

Don't dump or throw anything into ditches or streams
A plugged channel cannot carry water, and when it rains, the excess water must go somewhere.

Remove debris, trash, loose branches and vegetation
Keep banks clear of brush and debris to help maintain an unobstructed flow of water in stream channels. Do not, however, remove vegetation actively growing on a stream bank, which is regulated by local, state and federal agencies.

Obtain a floodplain development permit and/or building permit, if required
To minimize damage to structures during floods, the county requires all new construction in the floodplain to be anchored against movement by floodwaters, resistant to flood forces, constructed with flood-resistant materials and flood-proofed or elevated so the first floor of living space, as well as all mechanical and services, is at least one foot above the elevation of the 100-year flood. These standards apply to new structures and to substantial improvements of existing structures. Most other types of development within the floodplain also require a floodplain development permit, such as grading, cut and fill, and bank stabilization techniques.

Flood Insurance rates rising to cover costs; County residents still eligible for discount

Flood insurance rates are increasing. The NFIP, founded in 1968, provided subsidized insurance rates to people with homes that did not meet minimum standards but were built before FEMA's new flood mapping existed. Now, after years of massive storms such as Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy, NFIP is out of money and deeply in debt. In order to help the program become solvent and build a reserve fund, federal legislation approved in 2012 requires that flood insurance rates reflect the flood risk of the property.

While some people with flood insurance will not see an increase because their rates already reflect their flood risk, others will need to pay significantly more based on their actual flood risk. Some rate changes have taken place, and others become effective October 1, 2013. Triggers for rate changes include policy lapses, map changes and property purchases.

As a NFIP member, the County must oversee floodplains based on Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) standards. In turn, property owners must buy flood insurance for residences in the floodplain. By law, lending institutions require flood insurance for structures in a floodplain and have the option to require it for other areas.

For more information

• Clackamas County floodplain information
• Clackamas County Disaster Management Flood Hazards
• National Flood Insurance Program, Federal Emergency Management Agency
  202-646-2500
• Clackamas County Planning & Zoning
  503-742-4500

Chemicals are found everywhere. They purify drinking water, increase crop production and simplify household chores. You and your community are at risk if a chemical is used unsafely or released in harmful amounts into the environment where you live, work or play. Hazards can occur during production, storage, transportation, use or disposal.

Hazardous materials in various forms can cause death, serious injury, long-lasting health effects and damage to buildings, homes and other property. Many products containing hazardous chemicals are used and stored in homes routinely. These products are also shipped daily on the nation's highways, railroads, waterways and pipelines.

Chemical manufacturers are one source of hazardous materials, but there are many others, including service stations, hospitals and hazardous materials waste sites.

Varying quantities of hazardous materials are manufactured, used, or stored at an estimated 4.5 million facilities in the United States — from major industrial plants to local dry cleaning establishments or gardening supply stores.

Hazardous materials come in the form of explosives, flammable and combustible substances, poisons and radioactive materials. These substances are most often released as a result of transportation accidents or because of chemical accidents in plants.

How can I protect myself from a hazardous materials incident?

• Visit Ready.gov for information on hazardous materials incidents

More Hazardous Materials Information

• Environmental Protection Agency
• Metro

General Pollution Safety Information

• Clackamas County - Solid Waste and Recycling
• Oregon Dept. of Environmental Quality
• US Environmental Protection Agency - Office of Air and Radiation