Does Oregon experience natural disasters/problems as much as other Western states? (Portland: insurance, condo)

[MitchArk87]

This is a fun thread to discuss about natural disasters in Oregon; it would help me to know what to expect if I decide to live in Oregon soon.

Does Oregon have natural disasters often like California such as earthquakes, wildfires, mudslides, volcanic eruptions, and deadly floodings from rain or tidal waves from the Pacific Ocean?

What natural disasters tend to happen in Salem-Monmouth areas? Will I need additional insurances if I want to buy a house beside home and automobile insurances?

By the way, I was told that ashes from the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helena in southern Washington completely darkened the sky and covered most of Oregon especially Portland. Is that true? That sounds scary.

In addition, I was told by my geology professor who happens to be an Oregonian; he said that coastal Oregon isnt completely mountainous so if tidal waves are to hit Oregon, the water will go between mountains to flood the Wilmette Valley badly where most Oregonians live. Is that possible?

Is the population of illegal immigrants/Hispanics growing rapidly in Oregon yet or will it happen soon? Does Oregon have problems with drug cartels yet?

[Count David]

I'm going to guess you just saw 2012.

Earthquakes are possible. Wildfires can most likely happen in the mountains. Mudslides can happen where there is wet dirt. Volcanic eruptions happen at volcanoes, though you'd be lucky if a major eruption occurs during your lifetime in OR. People are dodging deadly floodings with the daily downpours Western OR experiences. Beach homes are built 2,000 feet above the sand to avoid the few-times daily tidal waves.

Actually, my boss, who lives in Portland, is experiencing a natural disaster of the worst kind, A POWER OUTAGE!

I wasn't alive in 1980, and if I was I probably wouldn't have been in Portland. It's my understanding that the ashes kind of accumulated like snow.

Your tidal wave/Willamette Valley scenario seems a bit farfetched, but hey, anything is possible. That water would have to sink the entire western half of Oregon. Even the largest tsunami in history probably wouldn't affect Portland, it's 60 miles inland. Maybe if a meteor hit.... oh never mind.

Yes, fear the illegal immigrants and/or Hispanics. They are all criminals who are involved with drug cartels, including myself. Hillsboro has long been known as a destination for CA illegals to get driver's licenses, though I'm not sure if that is still going on today (it was as of ~ 5 years ago). As soon as OR can get its hands on Federales who aren't corrupt, everything in OR should be fine.

[pw72]

Tidal Waves from any big quake in the Pacific are real. There were deaths from the '64 Alaska Quake along the Oregon coast.

Also, the last big subduction quake occured off the pacific coast occured 310 years ago. From my research, the window for the next similar quake is 300-500 years. So I guess we are now in that window.

I have also heard that southern Oregon is somewhat imune from big quakes, and is also out of the jet stream if there was a major radiation plume from Asia. Not sure about that, but this has been put out there for consumption.

[tablemtn]

I was told by my geology professor who happens to be an Oregonian; he said that coastal Oregon isnt completely mountainous so if tidal waves are to hit Oregon, the water will go between mountains to flood the Wilmette Valley

That would be extremely implausible even in a worst-case scenario. The Willamette Valley is generally 25 to 40 miles straight-line distance from the coast itself, separated by the Coast Range. The Coast Range isn't all that tall, but in order to cross the range, water would actually have to surge in from the coast continually over the course of 25 miles and gain 800 to 1,500 feet in elevation (on average) and STILL have enough force and volume to roll across several more miles of open fields and hillocks before reaching a population center.

Nothing short of a large meteor strike close to the coast would produce enough energy to create that type of surge, and at that point, the tsunami would probably be the least of our worries...

Also, a tsunami surge would have a very rough time reaching very far up something like the Columbia River, not only due to the distance, but also because the river takes several sharp turns along the way. Water doesn't magically retain all its energy as it goes upstream. The momentum would carry most of the surge in a straight line right into the hills, with only a faint echo of the initial energy making it down the bend.

[skinem]

Earthquakes are probably the most common natural disaster (well, if you aren't counting forest fires) that could affect large portions of the population. There was a fairly strong one in the mid or late '90s (I forget when) that caused some fair damage in the Monmouth area.

There are frequently earthquakes in Oregon, many not felt, but it is possible and eventually, likely, that there will be a strong damaging quake somewhere in the state.

One of Oregon's pleasures (to me) is that it is thinkly populated, especially the east side and compared to the eastern US. Because of this, the disasters that typically occur usually don't bother many people. In the late '90s while living in eastern Oregon, the East Oregonian out of Pendleton had a 2 or three sentence story in the paper that went along the line of "The US Geologic Service reported a 3.1 earthquake occurring last night at 1:20 a.m. X miles southeast of Condon. There was no reported damage and no one reported feeling it. "

Probably because no one did--it probably woke up some deer and antelope and shook some fence posts...

Of course, the beautiful Cascades weren't gently formed...but that's another thing for someday down the road...

[Terryj]

As far as tsunamis go I's have to agree with the majority of the post on here, however, one has to remember the Portland (downtown) is only about 60 feet above sea level. This means that is possible to get a wake rolling in from a subduction zone caused earthquake. If and when Oregon experiences another one of these earthquakes it will cause allot of damage to the coastal towns, most of these towns are services by only one hiway, 101, if the bridges are damaged it could mean that the only way in and out of these towns would be by air or long drives over logging roads to the west.

[Sign]

Originally Posted by MitchArk87

This is a fun thread to discuss about natural disasters in Oregon; it would help me to know what to expect if I decide to live in Oregon soon.

Does Oregon have natural disasters often like California such as earthquakes, wildfires, mudslides, volcanic eruptions, and deadly floodings from rain or tidal waves from the Pacific Ocean?

Volcanic mountains ARE in Oregon. Lately, they appear to be behaving themselves.
Mudslides occur after prolonged periods of heavy rain, usually. This OCCURS sometimes in the Portland area which has plenty of hilly terrain.....and other places, as well.
A tsunami in 1964 DID cause a lot of damage in Seaside, OR, Crescent City, CA and places along the Alaskan coast too. This, from a HUGE earthquake under the ocean near Valdez, AK, I believe.
Wildfires ARE a BIG threat in Central, Southern and Eastern Oregon more so than the Portland/Valley.....EVERY summer and if a heat wave and dry spell are occuring. Lightning causes many of these fires in the Cascades, as well as carelessness.

What natural disasters tend to happen in Salem-Monmouth areas? Will I need additional insurances if I want to buy a house beside home and automobile insurances?

Flooding from nearby streams and rivers....sometimes. Maybe a windstorm?

By the way, I was told that ashes from the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helena in southern Washington completely darkened the sky and covered most of Oregon especially Portland. Is that true? That sounds scary.

Most of the ash from the St. Helens eruption, blew off to the east and dumped a lot of ash on places like Moses Lake and Ritzville, WA. Also, enough ash managed to go high enough into the atmosphere, to change the sunrises as far away as Texas and eventually, to the East coast, I think.

In addition, I was told by my geology professor who happens to be an Oregonian; he said that coastal Oregon isnt completely mountainous so if tidal waves are to hit Oregon, the water will go between mountains to flood the Wilmette Valley badly where most Oregonians live. Is that possible?

NEVER would happen. No tsunami or tidal wave could affect the Willamette Valley. Too far inland and protected by the Coast Range.

Is the population of illegal immigrants/Hispanics growing rapidly in Oregon yet or will it happen soon? Does Oregon have problems with drug cartels yet?

Don't know about cartels, but Oregon has its fair share of dopers.
And, I wouldn't say the ILLEGAL population is growing AS rapidly as it once was.

[Rickers]

Originally Posted by MitchArk87

I was told by my geology professor who happens to be an Oregonian; he said that coastal Oregon isnt completely mountainous so if tidal waves are to hit Oregon, the water will go between mountains to flood the Wilmette Valley badly where most Oregonians live. Is that possible?

You must have one dumb ass geology professor. A tidal wave is just a wave that moves quickly on tidal flats when the tide rises quickly.
A tsunami could occur due to several events not just earthquakes and could wipe out the coastal low areas.

I think river flooding and forest fires are really the things to be concerned with on a regular basis.

[Steve97415]

Originally Posted by MitchArk87

In addition, I was told by my geology professor who happens to be an Oregonian; he said that coastal Oregon isnt completely mountainous so if tidal waves are to hit Oregon, the water will go between mountains to flood the Wilmette Valley badly where most Oregonians live. Is that possible?

I think the prediction here is a back-flood of the Columbia River estuary that would cause the main stem of the Willamette to rise. That still doesn't seem too likely to me. I don't think there is enough force and volume in any tsunami to accomplish that. But as those of us who lived through Flood '96 know, the Willamette has flood susceptibility of its own without help from mega-disastrous ocean events. All it takes is a Pineapple Express that simultaneously drops a few feet of rain while melting the mountain snow.

[Steve97415]

Originally Posted by MitchArk87

Does Oregon have problems with drug cartels yet?

We have a lot of problems with drug cartels: Pfizer, Abbott Laboratories, Novartis, Bayer, Johnson & Johnson...they're all scumbags.