This website has with information about the various dangers that exist: Earthquakes and tsunami, Landslides and mud slides, Storms, Power outage, Structure fire, and Pandemic.
Find Tips and Cape Meares Specific Information: Tips & Updates, how to Make a Plan in anticipation of a dangerous event, and what activities are in place to Prepare Your Neighborhood (PYN) in the event of an emergency.
Cape Meares is a small unincorporated coastal village about eight miles west of Tillamook, Oregon on the west side of Tillamook Bay. The proximity to the beautiful scenery and Pacific Ocean make it both a popular tourist spot but also a location exposed to dangers.
The Cape Meares Emergency Volunteer Corps (CMEVC) serves the community of Cape Meares on behalf of the Cape Meares Community Association (CMCA). Formed in 2010, CMEVC leads the community’s efforts to promote a culture of preparedness and to develop and maintain mass care and incident responses for a variety of events, including power outages, flooding, landslides, wildfires, earthquakes, and tsunamis. CMEVC also maintains CMCA’s emergency supply sheds and assists locals, short-term rental guests, and other visitors to prepare for emergencies, like providing details on where to gather in case of a tsunami and the importance of having GoBags and extra supplies for emergencies.
Each neighborhood in Cape Meares has a captain for the Prepare Your Neighborhood (PYN) program, promoting mutual support during emergencies. CMEVC also sponsors local educational opportunities and works with similar organizations in Tillamook County who focus on increasing the resilience of our citizens, visitors, and communities.
Latest Emergency Preparation News
Big Turnout for Shelter Drill
On August 9 thirty community members showed up to practice setting up our emergency equipment including shelter and medical tents, a sanitary station and communications. Notes were taken about what was missing in the instructions. Very successful event. Thanks to Kathy Burke and her team for organizing it.
- Emergency Preparedness Grant Award
CMCA received a second grant from the Tillamook PUD for $4,540.21. The grant will pay for two medical shelters, 20 body bags for deceased survivors, 12 Duckbill tent anchors, 45 sleeping bags, and two radios (one GMRS, one ham). We will store the tents in our Third and Ninth Street emergency storage sheds. Thanks to Miriam Fultz and her team.
- Great Oregon Shake OutCape Meares 2025
Cape Meares will participate in the Great Oregon Shake Out again this year. Get ready to practice your emergency skills with your family and neighbors. First, at 10:16 am on October 16th, you will practice the mantra of “drop, cover, and hold”. Then, grab your go bag and walk to your assembly site. The sites are located on 9th, 3rd, and 5th streets and at the water tower. There will be someone there to collect participation data and communicate site participation using GMRS radios.
It is important to practice community emergency plans so that all participants can direct their energy toward survival rather than panic.
Don’t be scared. Be prepared. - Tillamook County Emergency Preparedness Summit
Held September 13, 2024
On September 13, 2024 Miriam Fultz and Charles Ansorge attended the Tillamook County Emergency Preparedness Summit held at Tillamook Bay Community College at which time the new name and logo for our group that focuses on emergency preparedness was unveiled. Our group of “preppers” is now known as Cape Meares Emergency Volunteer Corps (CMEVC). Miriam shared information regarding a history of the work that our group has completed since 2010.
- Mass Casualty Shelter Drill
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. - Emergency Preparedness Tip of the Month – Prepare your Pets for An Emergency
Part-time or full-time residents of Cape Meares should make preparations for emergency events not only for themselves but also for their pet(s). Consideration should be given to having a Go-bag for your pet(s) that includes a three-day supply of food and water, first aid supplies, medications along with the pet’s medical record, vaccination history, and a current photo. Keep ID tags with current contact information on your animal’s collar at all times. Pet owners should understand their pet’s behavior in stressful situations and have a plan to calm or restrain them, if needed. Animals are likely to bolt, and you will likely be distracted by other matters so include a rope to tie your pet in the Go-bag. In times of crisis, pets may take cues from their owner’s behavior so remain as calm as possible to reduce their anxiety. Keep a small blanket or towel with the pet’s scent on it in the Go-bag so the animal has a familiar scent in a strange location. Lastly, pet owners should consider offering to help or take the lead on caring for pets that arrive in an assembly areas following a disaster.
