Wednesday is the Nationwide Emergency Alert from FEMA.
At 11:20 a.m. every television, radio, and cellphone in the country will send out a test for an emergency alert.
One of the big reasons for the alerts are natural disasters like earthquakes.
Oregon’s Office of Emergency Management says a big earthquake can come at any time to our region.
The Cascadia Subduction Zone is a land fault that runs from the coast of Northern California to British Columbia.
Experts say ruptures along or near this fault can happen any time of the year, potentially causing major damage and tsunamis along the coast.
The OEM says it’s important that everyone be prepared for an emergency.
“The first thing to remember about preparedness is you don’t have to do it all at once,” said Althea Rizzo, OEM’s geologic hazards program coordinator. “You can do it over time and you are probably a lot more prepared than you think you are.”
Rizzo says you can prepare at home by checking to make sure you have a working flashlight, leather gloves, and other things you might need in case of an emergency.
Visit www.oregon.gov/oem for more tips for earthquakes, wildfires, and other disasters.
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