Some highlights from the report:
- Portlanders are largely aware that a disaster could happen; 74 percent believe a natural disaster is somewhat or very likely to occur in Portland in the next 10 years. However, this awareness may not be enough to drive them to prepare.
- About half of Portlanders (52 percent) have made an emergency kit for their household. This tracks almost exactly with national survey numbers; Portlanders are not more prepared than people in other parts of the country.
- Portlanders believe knowing their neighbors is a first step in neighborhood preparedness. Those who are more connected to their neighbors also feel more prepared for emergencies. However, only 13 percent of Portlanders have actually made a plan with their neighbors.
- Portlanders expect to rely on themselves, people in their households, and family or friends first in an emergency situation. When asked who will provide assistance in the days following a disaster, people were "very confident" of others in their household (66 percent), family and friends (58 percent), neighbors (42 percent), and then local emergency responders (37 percent).
I continue to question the 52 percent of people who claim to be prepared for disasters. The reason this number seems unreasonably high is what I know to be the general lack of disaster preparedness among emergency managers themselves.
In general, I think people overestimate their readiness and underestimate the scope and duration of a regional disaster like an earthquake, which is the major natural disaster threat for the Pacific Northwest.
Moving the needle from "awareness" to "preparedness" is our challenge. A first step is to be sure that our internal staff are "walking the talk" in their personal lives.
And I scanned the report, especially the phone survey. I think questions like, "How many people are in your household and how much water do you currently have stored?" might be a good way to assess the level of preparedness.