Disaster Resilience: How We Get There

2019-20 Wayne Morse Chair Lecture featuring Dr. Lucy Jones, Caltech. As the planet warms, we face increased risk from hotter and longer wildfire seasons, more intense storms, drought, flooding, and more. In the Pacific Northwest, we also live with the reality of the looming Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake. Working with both the public and private sectors, Caltech seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones seeks to increase communities’ ability to adapt and be resilient to the dynamic changes of the world around them. The aim is to understand and communicate where the greatest vulnerabilities lie and what actions can be taken to reduce the risk that are the most cost-effective.

Dr. Jones completed 33 years of federal service with the US Geological Survey in March 2016. Most recently, she led the creation of a national science strategy for all the natural hazards studied by the USGS to promote the science that would better prepare the nation for future natural hazards.

In her book The Big Ones: How Natural Disasters Have Shaped Us (and What We Can Do About Them), Dr. Jones offers both a look at how natural disasters have affected the course of history and how we can prepare for them.

Free pamphlets will be available to attendees offering a checklist of items to purchase and steps to take over a three-month period to create an emergency supply kit and disaster preparation plan for themselves and their families.

Please see below for links to other disaster preparedness information and resources. We know that thinking about natural hazards can produce anxiety. Having a plan can help you feel less scared.

OPB: Unprepared: Will We Be Ready For The Megaquake In Oregon?

NPR: The Big One: Your Survival Guide (features several interviews with Dr. Jones)