In late August the world watched as residents of the Gulf Coast scrambled to escape the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina.
In New Orleans, the Superdome and the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, designated to provide relief from a violent storm, became shelters for people in need of supplies. Local and federal governments could not communicate. External aid didn’t arrive in the region for days.
A hurricane is unlikely to hit Eugene, but the city is still susceptible to other disasters that may leave the area in need of aid.
A major subduction zone earthquake could affect regions from northern California to British Columbia and it could be difficult for affected areas to get outside aid, said Ray Weldon, a University geology professor.
“Once a natural disaster exceeds a particular size its impact on society changes dramatically,” Weldon said. “This is what we saw in Katrina.”
Hurricane Katrina affected such a huge area that “making decisions about who to help and where to go and what to do became a real challenge for the emergency managers,” he said.
The University campus could become the center of a relief effort locally because a large disaster would likely send people to shelters built on the University’s open spaces.
The city and University do have plans for an emergency response. These plans come in the form of the Incident Command System and the National Incident Management System, both nationally recognized models that establish who is in charge during an emergency.
But as shown in New Orleans, a city familiar with ICS and NIMS procedures, these programs may not always be completely sufficient.
Because of this, people are encouraged to take proper precautions and prepare for a disaster, said Jenny Carrick, American Red Cross community relations director for the Oregon Pacific Chapter.
Carrick said every household should assemble an emergency kit equipped with enough critical supplies to last 72 hours.
“You can not rely on the government to serve the needs of every human being,” she said. “That’s just a fact of life.”
Shelters on campus
In the event of disaster, rather than students evacuating from campus, people will likely come to campus in need of shelter, said Andre LeDuc, program director for Oregon Natural Hazards Workgroup.
Abundant open space is one of the greatest assets the University could offer in emergency situation, LeDuc said.
In the event of a major earthquake, more than 10,000 people in Lane County could need shelter, according to the Eugene Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan.
According to ONHW, the University has about 5 million square feet of open space that could temporarily serve people displaced by a disaster.
Open areas, such as the turf field beside the Student Recreation Center, could potentially serve as staging areas or triage centers, he said.
Supplies for staging a major shelter are currently not on campus, but ONHW is talking with the Federal Emergency Management Agency staff about storing critical supplies on campus before a disaster strikes, LeDuc said.
In six months, the University plans to test a new plan, Department of Public Safety Interim Director Tom Hicks said. A test emergency scenario would ensure all people involved are comfortable with their roles and responsibilities during a disaster, he said.
“You can develop a plan,” he said, “but you don’t know if it’ll work until it’s done.”
The Department of Public Safety currently follows ICS protocol. Under ICS, one person is delegated the incident commander position, but that position may change as more qualified emergency officials arrive at the scene of an emergency, Hicks said. DPS was required to adopt the system to make it eligible for federal grant money, he said. If DPS headquarters in Straub Hall is damaged or made inaccessible, the department would move to the Student Recreation Center, Hicks said.
Hicks said DPS’ emergency response plan was moderately tested and proved successful in February 2003, after a violent windstorm.
“We’re further ahead than where we were five years ago,” Hicks said.
City response plan

Similar to the University, the city will use ICS and NIMS procedures in the event of a major emergency.
Unlike the University, the Eugene Fire Department uses the ICS system everyday, said Chuck Solin, Eugene emergency program manager.
For years, Eugene has had an ICS plan governing who has authority on scene, he said. However, the city didn’t adopt NIMS until May 2005.
“Federal, county, city and local governments will all work together within NIMS,” Solin said.
In the event of a major emergency, city officials and incident commanders will work out of the city’s Emergency Operations Center, a new facility located inside Fire Station 6 near Sheldon High School.
City officials assigned to an incident command post may not be doing something they normally do, but they have had training in that area, Solin said.
Solin said city agencies or organizations aren’t eligible for federal money unless they can demonstrate NIMS compliance.
In the event of major disaster, the city would collaborate with other organizations, such as the American Red Cross, to set up emergency shelters, Solin said.
Shelter locations would vary depending on the type of disaster, Carrick said.
People should listen to the radio after a disaster to learn where emergency shelters will be located,
Carrick said.Every household needs to have a disaster supplies kit, Carrick said.
Preparing emergency kits
This kit should include water, flashlights, non-perishable foods, prescriptions drugs, a First Aid kit, at least one change of clothing and footwear per person, blankets, cash, personal hygiene items and a battery-powered radioReady-made disaster kits are available at the American Red Cross or Target, CAt least one person in each household should be trained in CPR and first aid, Carrick said.
Nationwide, 1 in 7 people have a disaster supply kit, she said, and 1 in 10 people are prepared for a disaster on the West Coast.
“It doesn’t matter who you are, where you live, take some responsibility and get prepared,” she said.

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