Last night there was a presentation at CYC from the City of Seattle Dept of Emergency Preparation.  About 30 marina residents and a couple Sunset West condo residents attended and were given an overview of what to do to prepare yourself for a major earthquake here at Shilshole.  Tsunamis are what most people think of, but with the location of Shilshole this far down the Salish Sea, we most likely will see a surge or higher than normal water levels-no crashing rolling tsunami wave.

What is more likely to happen is landslides…off the hill blocking access to the marina at both the north and south ends.   And, if it is a city-wide event, there wont be any support or services available and we would be on our own.  Since boaters are generally a very independent group, you already have the ability to store water, food and power or, if possible, evacuate (just leave).  But a couple things to think about are…

• do you have a paper copy of all of your contacts and their phone numbers?  computers, internet and cloud access may be out
• do you have go-bag or, at least, a list of items needed if you had to leave your boat quickly? due to fire or dock/boat damage due to water surge, etc
• what will you do with your pets?  food, water, identification, carrier, (one suggestion is to keep them in your car with windows cracked so they don’t run off or get injured)
• who will you contact out of state to let them know you are ok?  cell service will be limited, text messaging has the best chance of getting through

Please refer to our Shilshole Prepares page for further helpful hints and please discuss your plans with your family. Watch this site and the gate for future presentations.