Oregon
The Cascadia Subduction Zone can produce a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami. The 2020 Labor Day fires burned a million acres in a week. Atmospheric rivers flood the Willamette Valley. And the Columbia Gorge funnels ice storms into Portland. Oregon prepares for the earthquake that hasn't come and the fire that comes every year.
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Know your region
Portland, Salem, Eugene, Corvallis. The Cascadia Subduction Zone threatens the entire region with violent shaking. The 2020 fires burned into suburban communities. Portland's ice storms from the Gorge knock out power for days. The Willamette River floods during atmospheric rivers.
Primary hazards: earthquakes, wildfire, ice storms, flooding
Astoria, Newport, Florence, Coos Bay, Brookings. A Cascadia tsunami could reach coastal communities within 15 to 20 minutes. Coastal erosion is accelerating. Winter storms bring destructive surf and flooding. Landslides close Highway 101 regularly.
Primary hazards: tsunami, earthquakes, coastal storms, landslides
Bend, Medford, Klamath Falls, Pendleton, the high desert. The 2020 Almeda Fire destroyed over 2,600 structures in the Rogue Valley. Eastern Oregon rangeland burns hundreds of thousands of acres. Smoke fills valleys for weeks.
Primary hazards: wildfire, smoke, drought, winter storms, flash floods
Your hazard profile
Each links to a full guide with during-event protocol, recovery steps, and resources specific to OR.
The Cascadia Subduction Zone can produce a M9.0 earthquake and tsunami. The last event was in 1700. Geologists estimate 10 to 15 percent probability in the next 50 years. Bolt your home to its foundation. Stock 14 days of supplies.
Read the earthquakes guide →
The 2020 Labor Day fires burned over 1 million acres in one week. Entire communities were destroyed. Suburban areas previously considered safe burned. Air quality reached hazardous levels statewide for weeks.
Read the wildfires guide →
Atmospheric rivers bring heavy rain that floods the Willamette Valley and coastal rivers. Landslides triggered by rain close roads and damage homes. Post-fire burn scars amplify flood risk.
Read the atmospheric river flooding guide →
Mount Hood, Mount Jefferson, and the Three Sisters are all potentially active. A major eruption would produce lahars that threaten communities downstream.
Read the volcanic activity guide →
The Columbia Gorge funnels cold air into Portland, creating ice storms. The 2021 ice storm left 350,000 without power. Mountain passes close frequently. Eastern Oregon experiences extreme cold.
Read the ice storms guide →
Oregon resources
Oregon Office of Emergency Management. Coordinates disaster response and manages the state's Cascadia preparedness planning.
Oregon Department of Geology earthquake information. Cascadia Subduction Zone maps, expected shaking intensity, and tsunami inundation zones.
Real-time wildfire tracking, evacuation levels (Ready, Set, Go), smoke forecasts, and fire restriction information.
Western Oregon forecasts. Atmospheric river outlooks, flood warnings, ice storm advisories, and fire weather alerts.
Real-time road conditions, chain requirements, pass closures, and fire-related road closures. Essential for mountain and coast travel.
Labor Day 2020
On September 7, 2020, an unprecedented east wind event pushed multiple wildfires across western Oregon simultaneously. In one week, over 1 million acres burned. The towns of Detroit, Blue River, and Phoenix were largely destroyed. The Almeda Fire in the Rogue Valley burned through suburban neighborhoods in Talent and Phoenix, destroying 2,600 structures. The air quality in Portland reached the worst of any major city on Earth.
The 2020 fires changed Oregon's understanding of wildfire risk. These were not remote forest fires. They reached into communities, suburbs, and urban edges. People who had never considered themselves at risk evacuated with hours of notice.
For every Oregon household, fire preparedness now extends beyond the traditional wildland-urban interface. A go-bag, multiple evacuation routes, county alert registration, and an air quality plan (sealed windows, HEPA filter, N95 masks) are baseline preparation. And the Cascadia earthquake, which has not happened yet, requires a separate and parallel level of readiness: 14 days of supplies and a communication plan that does not depend on infrastructure.