On August 12 the Cape Meares Emergency Prep group hosted a Mass Casualty Shelter Drill for the community.  Residents were asked to actively engage in the drill in order to gain experience on what might be expected following an earthquake and tsunami that forced them to flee to a safe assembly area above the inundation zone.  More than 30 residents participated and self-selected to be a member of a task group that then tested a series of instructions created by the Emergency Prep group.  

Following a significant earthquake and tsunami it is unlikely that those who are able to reach safety will be clear-minded regarding what they should do next.  We do the planning now for various scenarios without having to deal with the serious stress associated with being a survivor.  A major earthquake will not be just one event.  During the first 24-48-72 hours post event there might be hundreds of aftershocks with some of them approaching or even exceeding the initial quake.  There won’t be just one tsunami.  Instead there will be multiple waves that come ashore and continue to inflict serious damage to property in the inundation zone area.  

The severity of any event will determine how quickly it might be possible for the ground to stop shaking and the waves to cease coming ashore and for residents to start returning to their properties to assess damage.  It is unlikely everyone who reached safety at an assembly area will quickly return to their homes.  Tasks for the survivors will be required.  Food needs to be prepared; there’s a shelter to erect; sanitation preparation needs attention; a plan for water procurement must be put in motion; and medical attention may be required for some survivors.  
The shelter drill was very successful.  Much was learned from the drill.  Many of those residents who participated urged the scheduling of future drills in order for our community to build resilience so the day when the “Big One” arrives we will be prepared, survive, and live to see another day.