High-intensity seismic simulation reaches Port Angeles

PORT ANGELES — More than 100 first responders, emergency response team volunteers and elected officials were invited to try out the Big Shaker, an earthquake simulator, at Peninsula College on Wednesday.

The Big Shaker is a large trailer with a hydraulic system designed to simulate the 6.9 magnitude Loma Prieta earthquake that killed 63 people and injured many others in 1989. Big Shaker Enterprises LLC markets it as the world's largest earthquake simulator.

Waivers were signed and short presentations on earthquake preparedness were given in room J-147 of the Student Union Building. An earthquake simulator was parked between the Student Union Building and the college library.

Kathleen Reiter, Clallam County CERT Training Coordinator, gave a presentation to each group before they were led into the simulation.

“We all know that the big one is coming, the end of life as we know it and all that kind of stuff, yeah, right,” Reiter said. “But there are also a lot of other fault lines that could affect us here in Clallam County, whether it’s the Seattle fault or our own fault that runs through Crescent Lake, or whatever. These are going to be relatively mild earthquakes. They’re still capable of causing a lot of damage.”

The interior of the trailer was designed like a normal living room – with sofas, TVs and various items on high shelves. Five to seven people were allowed in at a time to experience what it feels like to experience a 6.9 magnitude earthquake.

After settling into the mock living room, participants received another brief introduction from Shaker staff about the potential dangers of earthquakes, especially for people who are inside when an earthquake occurs.

During the show, the simulated earthquake hit mid-sentence. Things fell off shelves, there was a constant shaking, and it was over fairly quickly.

In the event of a major earthquake — the Cascadia earthquake — shaking can last up to six minutes, said Justin Chorley, Clallam County emergency management program coordinator.

“The important thing is what’s around you, what’s going to fall, what’s going to break,” Chorley said. “That’s what[the big charger]really shows, is being in your living room with all your stuff. What could be a risk to you?”

In the event of a major earthquake, many expect that major roads could be subject to landslides and bridges could be affected, preventing movement from the peninsula, according to Chorley.

“This is speculation based on some of the extensive sweeping that people have done before me, but the idea is that we have certain locations within the county where there is no road going around them,” Chorley said. “Morris Creek would be an example. If we have a slide that covers the road in Morris Creek, until that is cleared, we are essentially isolated.”

She added that the electrical grid could be severely affected on the eastern side of the county, and power could be cut in a number of locations. Electricity, like the main road leading into the city, only comes via one lane.

Plumbing may also be affected, whether it's main water pipes or individual household pipes, Chorley said, adding that the recommendation is to keep enough drinking water on hand for 30 days, at a rate of one gallon per person per day.

She said some may not have space for that.

“We encourage people to get some sort of filter — you know we have a lot of water here — so they can filter their water, but we really encourage them to at least have some bottled water on hand to start,” Chorley said.

She said homes with electric wells may run out of water if the power goes out.

Chorley said current food recommendations on the peninsula are to provide 30-day options, adding that with roads lost, supplies could quickly become limited.

“We say 30 days because we’re relatively far away and the chances of our food supply being cut off are pretty high,” Chorley said. “The flood of 2021 was an example of that. After about three days, people in Forks and New Bay started seeing really empty shelves.”

Chorley said the Clallam County Emergency Management Team is heavily focused on community outreach for preparedness, as broader preparedness efforts can double the community's resilience.

She said some people may remain isolated for some time, under certain scenarios.

The county has approximately 728 Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs). Those interested in joining this team can contact Chorley at 360-417-2525.

The Emergency Management Team is currently implementing a 12-step year-round preparedness program that is open to the public. Information can be found at https://www.clallamcountywa.gov/1759/Prepare-in-a-Year.

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Reporter Elijah Sussman can be reached by email at [email protected].

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