01-18-2025  10:27 pm   •   PDX and SEA Weather

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4

NORTHWEST NEWS

POIC and Community Partners Raise Nearly $3 Million to Make Downtown Safer

POIC opened a downtown safety and resource center last fall.

Seattle Griot Project Secures Permanent Home While Putting Exhibits In Virtual Reality

The former Sanctuary at Admiral in central Seattle will house the Washington State Black Legacy Institute.

Janelle Bynum Becomes First Black Member Of Congress For Oregon

The former state representative for Clackamas County takes oath in D.C. and joins historic Congressional Black Caucus.

Boeing Still Needs a Culture Change to Put Safety Above Profits, According to the Head of the FAA

It was Jan. 5 of last year when a door plug blew out of Boeing 737 Max flying over Oregon. That led to increased scrutiny of Boeing by regulators and Congress.

NEWS BRIEFS

Biden Lauds STEM Award Winners

President Joe Biden has awarded STEM NOLA the prestigious Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering...

MLK Day Events 2025

The annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a time that we celebrate, commemorate and honor the life, legacy and impact of Dr. Martin...

Gov. Kotek Delivers 2025 State of the State Address

“This new year, 2025, carries a clear charge for all of us: to summon our unyielding spirit of resilience, to tackle problems with...

North Portland Library to Reopen in February

Grand opening celebration begins February 8 with ribbon cutting, cultural events, food and fun ...

Joint Center Mourns the Passing of President Jimmy Carter

"We will continue to honor President Carter’s unwavering commitment to public service and his lifelong dedication to racial,...

Oregon man who kidnapped a Seattle woman and kept her in a makeshift cell gets life sentence

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — An Oregon man has been sentenced to life in federal prison after being convicted of kidnapping and sexually assaulting two women in separate instances, including locking one in a cinder block cell. Negasi Zuberi, 31, was sentenced Friday in federal court in...

FBI releases new details on metal compounds used to spark Pacific Northwest ballot box fires

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The devices used to spark three ballot drop box fires in the Pacific Northwest during the 2024 election were made of a “very volatile mix” of thermite and scrap metal, FBI agents said Thursday. Thermite devices are made of metal shavings and iron oxide, and...

Mark Mitchell, Caleb Grill and Tamar Bates lead Missouri to 83-65 victory over struggling Arkansas

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Mark Mitchell and Caleb Grill both had 17 points, Tamar Bates scored 15 and Missouri upped its win streak to four by handing Arkansas its fifth straight loss, 83-65 on Saturday night. Mitchell added five rebounds and four assists for the Tigers (15-3, 4-1...

Arkansas visits Missouri after Grill's 22-point outing

Arkansas Razorbacks (11-6, 0-4 SEC) at Missouri Tigers (14-3, 3-1 SEC) Columbia, Missouri; Saturday, 6 p.m. EST BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Tigers -5.5; over/under is 149.5 BOTTOM LINE: Missouri hosts Arkansas after Caleb Grill scored 22 points in Missouri's...

OPINION

As Dr. King Once Asked, Where Do We Go From Here?

“Let us be dissatisfied until America will no longer have high blood pressure of creeds and an anemia of deeds. Let us be dissatisfied until the tragic walls that separate the outer city of wealth and comfort from the inner city of poverty and despair shall...

A Day Without Child Care

On May 16, we will be closing our childcare centers for a day — signaling a crisis that could soon sweep across North Carolina, dismantling the very backbone of our economy ...

I Upended My Life to Take Care of Mama.

It was one of the best decisions I ever made. ...

Among the Powerful Voices We Lost in 2024, Louis Gossett, Jr.’s Echoes Loudly

December is the customary month of remembrance. A time of year we take stock; a moment on the calendar when we pause to reflect on the giants we have lost. ...

AFRICAN AMERICANS IN THE NEWS

Civil rights leaders and King family mark MLK Day as a special call to action as Trump takes office

WASHINGTON (AP) — When President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in as president of the United States inside the Capitol’s rotunda, he will do so facing a bust of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. on the federal holiday commemorating King’s legacy. It's a disquieting contrast for some...

Alabama and Mississippi will also honor Robert E. Lee on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — The U.S. is set to mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the federal holiday set aside to honor the life of the civil rights icon. But in Alabama and Mississippi, Monday is also Robert E. Lee Day in honor of the Confederate general. The two states recognize King...

Arrest made in beating death of pioneering Black Bronx rocker

NEW YORK (AP) — Police in New York City have arrested a man in connection with the beating death of a pioneering rock musician in the Bronx. Sharief Bodden, 29, was charged Friday in the killing of Peter Forrest, a 64-year-old Bronx resident, who under the stage name P. Fluid had...

ENTERTAINMENT

Former WWE CEO Vince McMahon reaches deal with SEC over undisclosed settlement agreements

The Securities and Exchange Commission says that it has settled charges against former WWE CEO Vince McMahon over his failure to disclose to the sports entertainment company's board and others that he signed two settlement agreements worth .5 million with two women in order for them not to...

Life of da party: Snoop Dogg to host NFL Honors, which celebrates highs of the 2024 season

NEW YORK (AP) — Grab a gin and juice, Snoop Dogg is hosting the next episode of NFL Honors. He’s sure to be the life of da party. Snoop Dogg will take center stage at the Saenger Theater in New Orleans for the primetime awards show that recognizes the NFL’s best...

Book Review: Robert Crais spins the tale of a hardboiled private eye who uncovers a conspiracy

Traci Beller was 13 when her father — co-owner of a heating and air conditioning company — went out on some service calls and never returned home. The police, who found no trace of him, concluded that he had simply abandoned his family. The family then turned to Jessica Byers, a...

U.S. & WORLD NEWS

Jayden Daniels and the Commanders stun the top-seeded Lions 45-31 to reach NFC title game

DETROIT (AP) — Jayden Daniels and the nothing-to-lose Washington Commanders sent the top-seeded Detroit Lions to...

Mahomes and Kelce help Chiefs to a 23-14 win over Texans and another AFC title game trip

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes has never lost in the divisional round of the playoffs with the Kansas...

Trump-allied group's warnings may signal legal blueprint to attack 'sanctuary' jurisdictions

The ominous letters went to hundreds of state and local officials across the U.S. two days before Christmas. It...

3 lawyers for the late Kremlin foe Alexei Navalny are convicted and sentenced to prison

PETUSHKI, Russia (AP) — Three lawyers who once represented the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny...

South African miner describes horrors for those who spent months underground

STILFONTEIN, South Africa. (AP) — Dozens of men sat and lay together in small caves, some so shallow they...

Ski lift accident leaves 30 injured at Spanish resort in the Pyrenees

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — At least 30 people have been injured in a ski lift accident at the Spanish resort of...

Helen Silvis

Floods. Fires. Snow and ice storms. Earthquakes and epidemics. Terrorist attacks. Emergencies happen. In fact, according to FEMA , we've had 69 disasters this year already, in the United States -- 43 of them in Washington and 23 in Oregon.  

Oregon Rep. David Wu is leading an effort to improve our ability to predict and prepare for natural hazards. Chairing a hearing in the Science Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation last week, Wu called for a coordinated approach to all disaster research funding.

"Wind and fire cause approximately $28 billion worth of damage and kill an average of 4,350 Americans each year," Wu said. "The key to successful mitigation of any and all potential hazards is a coordinated and effective public education program."

Wu is advocating for a single hazards mitigation program to fund research into wind, fire, earthquakes, tsunamis and other disasters, instead of the current piecemeal funding system.

Disasters, whether natural or manmade, can cause tremendous damage, destruction and death. Nobody can predict when a disaster will strike, or exactly who will suffer.
 But using the data we have collected over time, experts can predict the kinds of disasters that are most likely to happen and where.  Nationally, for example Texas, California and Oklahoma and Florida rank one to four in the list of disaster prone states. Washington state is ranked number 20 with 43 emergencies declared so far this year while Oregon ranks number 33 with 23 declared disasters.

Few of us want to spend our lives worrying about disasters that probably will never happen. Yet we are told everyone should be prepared to cope in an emergency. So what kind of disasters are likely to happen in the Northwest?

In both Washington and Oregon states, the record tells us that the most likely natural disasters are winter storms, floods, mudslides and fires, Earthquakes and droughts are rarer although potentially even more devastating. Multnomah County's 2005 hazard mitigation assessment mapped the areas most vulnerable to natural disasters. That included flooding in low-lying areas of Portland and fires in natural areas such as Mock's Crest. King County's emergency management site lists 16 hazards from avalanches and power outages to hazardous materials spills.

Which potential danger would hurt Northwest residents the most? According to the State of Oregon's 2006 hazard analysis and mitigation plan, the three potentially most devastating natural disasters, would be of disaster prone states. Washington state is ranked number 20 with 43 emergencies declared so far this year while Oregon ranks number 33 with 23 declared disasters. Few of us want to spend our lives worrying about disasters that probably will never happen. Yet everyone should be prepared to cope in an emergency. So what kind of disasters are likely to happen in the Northwest?In both Washington and Oregon states, the record tells us that the most likely natural disasters are winter storms, floods, mudslides and fires, Earthquakes and droughts are rarer although potentially even more devastating. Multnomah County's 2005 hazard mitigation assessment mapped the areas most vulnerable to natural disasters. That included flooding in low-lying areas of Portland and fires in natural areas such as Mock's Crest. King County's emergency management site lists from avalanches and power outages to hazardous materials spills. Which potential danger would hurt Northwest residents the most? According to the State of Oregon's 2006 hazard analysis and mitigation plan, the three potentially most devastating natural disasters, would be

A major earthquake

A tsunami, or

A volcanic eruption.

The last time a large earthquake hit the Pacific Northwest was in the year 1700, said John Vidale, director of the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network. "A big earthquake of magnitude nine comes about once every 500 years, so we have a 10 percent chance of seeing one in the next 50 years."

Video

Watch this video where Jonathan Jui speaks about disaster preparedness, focusing on the events of Hurricane Katrina.



A former UCLA professor, who is now Washington State Seismologist, Vidale says studies of Seattle and Portland suggest that Seattle would suffer more damage than previously thought if an earthquake hit the Puget Sound area. "We're thinking that Seattle is more dangerous than we had thought because of the big basin in the Puget Sound," he said. "Portland seems like it may be less in danger than we had thought." However, he said, "If a six occurred in Portland it could do a lot of damage."

Vidale said the good news is that better seismometers and more careful studies have improved our ability to predict and warn citizens of an approaching earthquake.

The risk of a coastal tsunami is similar to risk of an earthquake. In fact tsunamis are caused by earthquakes under the ocean floor. All coastal areas could be affected.

Man made disasters, such as terrorist attacks, chemical spills and radiation leaks, are more difficult to predict. But experts say that families and businesses who prepare for a natural disaster will be prepared for any kind of disaster. The keys to being prepared are to make a plan for what you would do if:

Your family was separated when a disaster struck

You had to stay in your home for several days

Your home had no power or water supply

Local telephones won't work

Roads were closed

Shops and pharmacies were closed

 

LINKED STORIES
Prepare, Survive a Disaster
When Disaster Strikes It's Up to You
72-hour Emergency Kits and Family Plans
Wanted: Heroes
What Do You Do When All the Lights Go Out
Disasters Are Not Rare, FEMA Count 69 a year
Multnomah County Info and Trainings