A tabletop exercise conducted by Island County officials looks at earthquake preparedness

An earthquake along the South Whidbey Island fault zone would mean a maximum scenario of 7.4 on the Mercalli scale. That means infrastructure cracking, objects flying off the walls and everyone standing to the side, ears plugged and crawling for cover, and between 2,000 and 6,000 people injured. In this case, the island province would face greater damage than the damage caused by the Cascadia subduction zone.

The Island County Emergency Management Division discussed the county's response to such a disaster during a “tabletop simulation exercise” with county commissioners on Wednesday. The discussion focused on communication methods and facility evaluations. Since time is limited, the topic will likely be covered at a later time.

“We're here at work. Everyone's working regular hours and the ground is shaking,” Eric Brooks, Island County's deputy director of emergency management, said at Wednesday's work session. “From an Island County perspective, what are our goals?” What are our priorities? What are the things that worry us, and what do we want to do?

Brooks said that earthquakes are the most important natural disasters that must be prepared for. The earthquake would likely devastate the entire province, with water, electricity and roads cut off within minutes. If officials are prepared for an earthquake, they are prepared for anything.

“You'll feel the damage all over the county. It's going to be excessive. It's going to be violent. It's going to be the kind of thing you can't stand, and things are going to fall apart,” he said. “That's the scenario we're working on.”

Most people are probably most familiar with the Richter scale, which measures the intensity of an earthquake at the epicenter. Instead, the modified Mercalli scale represents proximity to the epicenter. So, a 7.4 magnitude earthquake on Whidbey Island might reach a different number on Camano Island.

While Wednesday's meeting was just the beginning of the conversation, the main points of concern were communication procedures and facility inspections. Communications needed the most attention, as employees today are accustomed to instant and convenient means of communication that would likely not be available during such an earthquake.

After the Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake and perhaps even the South Whidbey earthquake, surrounding counties will be overwhelmed and state resources will be there, Commissioner Melanie Bacon said.

It is likely that no one will be able to cross Deception Pass, and residents must rely on local resources. Some parts of the island will be covered in water and need only temporary reclamation to reach them.

Tsunami alarms are activated by underwater sensors, so a tsunami caused by a landslide wouldn't trigger them, Brooks said.

He said: “If you feel the ground shaking, go to higher ground.”

Commissioner Jill Johnson said while facilities must be evaluated so county employees can return to work to repair disasters throughout the county, that is a secondary concern. Personal safety comes first.

“I only care about evaluating buildings enough to know whether people are inside or outside,” she said.

She said the media response to the shortage of firefighters during the 2023 Maui wildfires angered Johnson, as firefighters' homes were burning with their families inside.

“The expectation is that they are firefighters first and humans second,” she said.

Another important aspect is prison, Johnson said. County staff have evacuation routes, meeting points and action plans – but who gets the inmates out of the building?

“I feel confident in our ability to evaluate our facilities,” she said. “I need to feel confident that we can make sure our prisoners are safe.”

Brooks proposed a policy of ensuring staff safety, allowing time to check on families and evaluate whether they can return to work. County staff must then evaluate communications systems — if everything goes down, they need a specific place to meet.

The Oak Harbor Fire Department has been tasked with setting up an emergency operations center, Brooks said.

Brooks works towards officially designated response members as well as alternative methods of communication during emergencies such as the Island County Auxiliary Radio Team. They will have more tools, alternative tools to send simple messages, and personalize them to employees who are most in need. He said they will also hire a new emergency manager, who will focus first on staff training and then on community training.

The Island County Community Emergency Response Team holds community training on earthquake and disaster preparedness and more in March and April in Oak Harbor, South Whidbey and Camano Island.

OPH Director Melissa Overbury-Howland (left), Commissioner Melanie Bacon (back) and Board Clerk Jennifer Rule (right) tend to Chris Brooks during a seismic demonstration at the commissioners' meeting on Wednesday. (Photo by Sam Fletcher)

Island County Planning Director Michael Jones, left, Health Director Shawn Morris (back) and Board Clerk Jennifer Rule, right, carry a representative during a seismic demonstration at the commissioners' meeting on Wednesday. (Photo by Sam Fletcher)

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