(Astoria, OR) — Clatsop County’s 6 Weeks Ready campaign focuses on personal emergency preparedness and is introducing its Week 2 focus: “Disaster Planning with Everyone in Mind.”

“We encourage everyone to join us. It doesn’t matter if you missed week one of our campaign. What matters is you are joining us now,” said Justin Gibbs, Clatsop County Emergency Management Director.

Clatsop County’s 6-Weeks Ready campaign provides residents and businesses with an opportunity to increase preparedness efforts. 

“This campaign is for everyone. It’s for people who’ve never thought of emergency preparedness as well as those who spent time preparing themselves, their family and home. Each week we’re introducing a new preparedness focus and leading to the Great American Shakeout earthquake drill on Thursday, Oct. 19,” he said.

“Disaster Planning with Everyone in Mind” encourages individuals to tailor their preparations to their life:

• Find out which hazards might impact where you live, work and play. Check if your home, workplace or child’s school is in a tsunami inundation zone.
• Identify factors unique to your life that may require extra attention. Do you have children, care for seniors, pets or individuals living with disabilities?
• You never know where and when a disaster will strike. That means being prepared may look different depending on where you are – at home, work, shop or spend leisure time. Make a plan to respond for each location.
• Have a Communications Plan so you can stay informed during an emergency, and know how you and your loved ones can stay in contact with one another. Make sure you give a paper copy of your plan to every loved one so they can refer to it.

IMPORTANT TIP: Did you know that during a disaster, cell towers often get jammed from all the people trying to call loved ones? 

That’s why you want to have someone on your contact list who is out of state. They can serve as a “relay,” where you and your loved ones can leave messages and updates. 

• As the COVID-19 pandemic showed, businesses are vulnerable to emergencies too. Identify potential natural and human-caused hazards at work and prepare. A continuity-of-operations plan can help keep a workplace working during and after a disaster.

Each week of the campaign, preparedness themes and resources will guide residents to becoming prepared. They will be posted on the County website and social media in English/Spanish. 

The 6-Weeks Ready campaign ends with the Great Shakeout, and the County encourages everyone to register online to participate.

Week 1: Sept 6            Building a Kit

Week 2: Sept 13          Disaster Planning with Everyone in Mind

Week 3: Sept 20          Protecting your Family & Property in a Disaster–

             Sept 26          Countywide ClatsopAlerts! emergency communications test

Week 4: Sept. 27         Food & Water in an Emergency

             Sept. 30         Get Ready Clatsop County Preparedness Event

Week 5: Oct 4              Earthquake Safety

Week 6: Oct 11            Tsunami Evacuation

The campaign ends Thursday, Oct. 19, the day of the Great Shakeout. “We encourage everyone to register online to participate,” he said. 

Personal preparedness and other emergency preparedness information can be found at Get 6 WEEKS READY Clatsop County | Clatsop County Oregon.