Oregon Schools "Ready To Fall" in a Quake

Image courtesy of The Seattle Times

The New York Times' Dot Earth blog has a post on the false sense of security we in a Developed Nation perceive our safety should a cataclysmic earthquake the size of the recent China quake occur. Yumei Wang, the geohazards team leader for Oregon, warns that "over a thousand schools [in Oregon] are ready to fall in a Sichuan-style quake." That earthquake was 7.8 on the Richter scale.

Back in 2001, as a senior in high school, I experienced the Nisqually Earthquake centered around Olympia, Washington. That one was 6.8 magnitude, and easily traveled the 120 miles to my high school in Astoria, causing it to sway and buck like the school was suddenly a surf board in a wave pool. Astoria High School was made of reinforced brick, probably the weakest building material (and most dangerous) to suffer an earthquake. Luckily, the quake was over quickly and caused very little damage and, after the quake passed and everyone became unfrozen in position (the Earthquake Alarm came on after the quake was through; there was definitely no diving under desks like they taught us to do) we all filed outside. But I do remember Ms. Marconeri, an ornery witch who also passed the time as a computer room monitor, pushing students out of her way as she scrambled out the door.

But, as students, we expected as much from a witch.