Oregon learned lessons from deadly 2004 quake, tsunami

Friday marks the 10-year anniversary of the “Boxing Day” earthquake that struck off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, causing a massive tsunami that devastated the island and damaged areas more than 3,000 miles away.

The largest wave hit Indonesia, Thailand, India and Sri Lanka, and reached as far as the shores of Eastern Africa. The earthquake and tsunami claimed more than 280,000 lives and caused billions of dollars in damage.

“We have learned a lot from the Indonesian earthquake and tsunami,” said Althea Rizzo, Geologic Hazards Program coordinator for the Oregon Office of Emergency Management. “Oregon is at risk for a similar earthquake and tsunami, so every step we take to prepare is important.”

Oregon is located in the Cascadia Subduction Zone, an offshore fault line stretching from British Columbia to California. Scientists say a 9.0 or larger earthquake could strike Oregon and the rest of the Cascadia region at any time.

“Scientific research has dramatically increased Oregon’s understanding of the threat posed by a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake,” said State Geologist Vicki McConnell, who leads the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI). “The reality is, a catastrophic earthquake and tsunami will happen in Oregon.”

In the decade since the disaster in Indonesia, the Oregon Office of Emergency Management and DOGAMI have partnered with local jurisdictions, other state agencies, federal agencies, and tribal partners to undertake a variety of projects to support earthquake and tsunami preparedness.

“Cascadia is going to be big, bad, and ugly and we need to prepare now,” said Rizzo.

Much work has been done in the 10-years since the Indonesian earthquake and tsunami, including the creation of new generation tsunami inundation and evacuation maps for the entire Oregon coast.

“The new maps are incredibly important to Oregon’s preparedness,” says geologist George Priest, who leads DOGAMI’s tsunami work. “The inundation maps help communities understand and plan for tsunamis, and the evacuation maps provide critical information that every Oregonian needs to know – how far ashore will a tsunami reach, and how do I get to high ground?”

Other important projects have included crafting guidelines for response to distant tsunamis, creating tsunami information specifically for the maritime community, public outreach events, door-to-door education campaigns, distribution of maps and preparedness materials, and the promotion of tsunami evacuation drills.

“Tsunami evacuation drills are the single best preparedness effort a community can do to prepare for a tsunami, it’s critical to know where to go and what to do,” said Rizzo.

Much of this work has been funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration through the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program, including more than $3 million for DOGAMI mapping.

Tsunami preparedness resources created through ongoing efforts are collected at