🫨 How to prep for a quake

How To Prepare for a Local Emergency

Seattle sits on the Cascadia Subduction Zone, where several tectonic plates, like the Explorer, Juan de Fuca, and Gorda, all vie for space beneath the North American plate. As a result, there have been earthquakes in the area’s history (like the 1700 Cascadia earthquake), which sent a tsunami all the way to Japan. There are also other earthquakes that have occurred in 1949, 1965, and in 2001, the Nisqually earthquake.

• The Nisqually Earthquake, as well as a major windstorm in West Seattle, is what inspired local Seattleites like Cindi Barker, one of the original founders of Seattle’s Emergency Hubs, to get Seattleites together to organize and be prepared in case of an emergency.
• Podcast player - Are You Prepared for The Big One? Plus, the State of Seattle Public Schools
• What is a Community Emergency Hub? It is a pre-determined location where neighbors and community members are likely to gather to begin exchanging information and resources among themselves without outside assistance from city services.
• Find a hub by checking out their map, which shows the locations around the city. If your area doesn’t have a location, reach out to them to get one started!

🗑️ The fate of Gas Works Park’s trash: Gas Works Park got a makeover, but now the city has to handle the old, rusted metal that is covered in toxic industrial waste that they removed. Since any metal exposed to toxins can’t be reused, the city is relying on the company Clean Harbors to dispose of hazardous materials. [KUOW]

• Clean Harbors has been fined by both the EPA for hazardous waste violations and the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration for employee safety. [EPA/OSHA]

🏳️‍⚧️ WA’s trans community endures: In a time of major anti-trans legislation on a national and state level, I am looking at you, Initiative IL26-638. Washington’s transgender community has continued to fight for their safety. A member of the community told the South Seattle Emerald that despite the state’s progressive values, "I wouldn't romanticize any place as being safe." [South Seattle Emerald]

• The City rejected Seattle’s LGBTQ Commission’s request for a civil state of emergency due to an influx of transgender and queer individuals relocating from conservative states. [FOX13]

🚲 Streetcar tracks still dangerous for bikers: It has been ten years since Seattle got the First Hill Streetcar, and despite planned safety improvements, cyclists say more needs to be done. The tracks can snag on bike wheels and lead to dangerous crashes, and currently, none of the proposed safety improvements will solve this issue. [Capitol Hill Seattle Blog]