The latest news stories across the state of Oregon from the digital home of the Oregon coastal cities, OregonBeachMagazine.com
Monday, October 18, 2021
Oregon Beach Weather
Today– Mostly sunny, with a high near 58. Calm wind becoming west southwest around 6 mph in the afternoon.
Tuesday– A 30 percent chance of rain, mainly after 5pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 64. East southeast wind 8 to 10 mph.
Wednesday– Showers. High near 60. Breezy, with a south wind 17 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Thursday– Rain likely, mainly after 11am. Cloudy, with a high near 65. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Friday– Showers. Cloudy, with a high near 58.
The Great Oregon ShakeOut
International ShakeOut Day is always the third Thursday of October (this year: October 21).
Tip of The Week for Earthquake & Tsunami Preparedness
EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI PREPAREDNESS
October is Tsunami Preparedness Month and the perfect opportunity to talk about earthquake and tsunami readiness.
Prepare for the Next Earthquake or Tsunami
Government agencies and other emergency organizations cannot protect you from the next earthquake or tsunami. Even under the best of circumstances, medical aid or public safety officials may not be able to reach you for hours, days, or even weeks. It is our responsibility as individuals, neighborhoods and communities to reduce risks, to prepare for the critical period immediately after the earthquake, and to make sure that planning for earthquakes and tsunamis has the high priority it deserves. By becoming informed, we can take actions to protect ourselves, reduce losses, and recover quickly.
Earthquake Preparation – Cascadia Subduction Zone or On-Shore Earthquakes
- Anchor and secure appliances, furniture, glass objects, and art to wall studs and/or other furniture items.
- Know how to turn off water, gas and electricity and have the non-sparking tools to do so.
- Keep a bag next to your bed with shoes, extra glasses, gloves, poncho, flashlight or headlamp so you are ready to evacuate once the shaking stops.
- Have a 3-5 day kit in your car in case you need to use it as a place of shelter until the aftershocks subside.
- Participate and register for https://www.shakeout.org/oregon/ on October 21, 2021 at 10:21am – the world’s largest earthquake drill. Review these resources for businesses, organizations, and community members.
Earthquake Response – If you feel an earthquake
- Drop, cover, and hold on until after the shaking stops, then evacuate outside to survey damages to the building.
- If indoors, get under a sturdy table, hold on and be prepared to move with the table.
- If in bed, stay in the bed and protect your head with a pillow.
- If outdoors, find a clear spot away from buildings and trees and stay until the shaking stops.
- If in a vehicle, pull over to a clear location until shaking stops.
- Be ready for aftershocks that could last for days after the main shock.
Tsunami Preparedness and Response
A tsunami is a series of sea waves, usually caused by a displacement of ocean floor by an undersea earthquake. As tsunamis enter shallow water near land, they increase in height and can cause great loss of life and property damage.
- When at the coast, know the distant and local tsunami evacuation routes. Look for educational signs at beach entry areas and tsunami assembly area points.
- A Distant Tsunami will take 4 or more hours to come on shore and you will feel no earthquake. The tsunami will generally be smaller than that from a local earthquake. Typically, there is time for an official warning from our Lincoln County Lincoln Alerts and the National Warning Center to evacuate to safety.
- A Local Tsunami can come on shore within 15-20 minutes after the earthquake and before there is time for an official warning from the national warning system. Ground shaking may be the only warning you have, so evacuate quickly to high ground out of the local tsunami zone.
- Do not return until emergency officials have advised that it is safe to return.
Resources
Great Oregon ShakeOut:
- Registration & General Information
- Recommended Earthquake Safety Actions
- Earthquake Guide for People with Disabilities
Lincoln County Emergency Management
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Red Cross
For more information and tips, visit our website at www.lincolncountysheriff.net and Like us on Facebook at Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office – Oregon. Lincoln Co. Sheriff’s Office
The Great Oregon ShakeOut https://www.shakeout.org/oregon/
Oregon reports 1,218 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 20 new deaths
There are 20 new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 4,161. The Oregon Health Authority reported 1,218 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 bringing the state total to 348,766.
The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (6), Benton (18), Clackamas (65), Clatsop (6), Columbia (17), Coos (29), Crook (45), Curry (2), Deschutes (88), Douglas (44), Grant (1), Harney (3), Hood River (5), Jackson (56), Jefferson (17), Josephine (23), Klamath (80), Lake (7), Lane (87), Lincoln (16), Linn (93), Malheur (32), Marion (125), Morrow (8), Multnomah (148), Polk (16), Sherman (1), Tillamook (5), Umatilla (28), Union (14), Wallowa (2), Wasco (17), Washington (88) and Yamhill (26).
A deadly spike in COVID-19 infections that began just before Independence Day should near its end around Christmas, a new state forecast said Thursday. But with more than two months to go to reach the projected end point, about 177,000 more infections are expected in the state, according to the Oregon Health & Science University weekly forecast released late Thursday.
A lawsuit against Oregon’s vaccine mandate for state employees, health care workers, and teachers will be heard today, the same day the mandate takes effect. The lawsuit was filed by seven Oregonians who will argue they should be exempt because they previously had COVID-19 and recovered from it. They claim there’s evidence that people who recover from COVID-19 have a greater risk of having an adverse reaction. The CDC says it’s safe if the person waits 90 days after recovering from the virus.
Medicare Open Enrollment Begins
Open enrollment begins today for Medicare Advantage and Part D prescription drug plans.
Open enrollment for the 2022 Medicare plan year is from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, 2021.
Medicare plans and coverage for prescription drugs change each year, so it is important for Oregonians who are enrolled in Medicare to evaluate their plan options and make changes during open enrollment.
The Senior Health Insurance Benefits Assistance (SHIBA) program with the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) is available to help Oregonians understand their Medicare options and benefits, provide enrollment guidance and answer any questions related to Medicare benefits.
“Medicare is a critical benefit for older adults and people with disabilities and navigating the options available can be confusing,” said Jane-Ellen Weidanz, ODHS Long Term Services and Supports Administrator. “When it comes to open enrollment, do not wait until the last minute. Take time to review your options and make choices as soon as you can. SHIBA is here to help Oregonians make the right choice for them.”
SHIBA provides trained counselors to educate and advocate for Oregonians with Medicare. Local SHIBA counselors and SHIBA’s 2022 Oregon Guide to Medicare Insurance Plans can be found by visiting SHIBA.Oregon.gov. Oregon Department of Human Services
Governor’s Office Responds to Oregon National Guard Issue
Governor Brown’s office responded on Friday to a letter published by members of Oregon’s Congressional delegation highlighting alleged mismanagement and delay of benefits and pay for National Guard members deployed to help hospitals understaffed and overwhelmed by the COVID-19 Delta variant surge.
The original letter addressed to Gov. Brown and Major General Michael E. Stencel, said that the treatment some service members faced was “unacceptable” citing reports that the deployment was chaotic, and that Guardsmen received contradictory or lackluster directions about where they needed to be and when.
Some Guardsmen were left hanging up to mid-September, according to the lawmakers, and some had to reserve hotels or other accommodations with their own money, while others reportedly found that their travel vouchers weren’t recognized.
In a statement, Governor Brown’s office said that the Oregon Military Department had already started addressing the issues last week and let the Congressional delegation know. Gov. Brown’s press secretary Liz Merah said that the issues also seemed to be confined to a handful of the Guardsmen deployed.
Oregon House Speaker Calls for Special Session to Protect Tenants
The Oregon House Speaker, Tina Kotek, called for a special session of the Oregon Legislature to stave off a rash of evictions as pandemic restrictions expire.
“Nothing is more important than keeping people housed,” Kotek wrote on Twitter. “The pandemic and the coming winter demand action now.”
It has been reported that 11,900 renters statewide who’ve applied for pandemic assistance were on the cusp of losing legal protection from eviction because it had taken too long for the state to get relief money to their landlords.
When The Oregonian reported Friday that the protections for those renters had expired, Kotek responded to the story with the tweet. “We need a special session for legislators to fix this problem,” she wrote.
It’s not clear whether Kotek would have the votes to pass such a bill, nor is it clear that Gov. Brown will call for a special session. Brown has previously stated she will rely on landlord self-interest to wait for state assistance rather than kick tenants out and get nothing. If tenants are evicted before assistance arrives, the application does not proceed, Brown’s office said last month.
Mt. Bachelor to Keep Controversial Ski Passes for Now
A central Oregon ski area operator will keep in place a new ski pass that allows people who pay more to bypass most chairlift lines despite a request from Oregon U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden to scrap the plan due to equity issues.
Powdr Corp. co-Presidents Wade Martin and Justin Sibley, in an open letter Friday, said the company intends to keep the pass available at Mt. Bachelor near Bend, but will offer season ticket holders refunds before the season starts.
The pass, called Fast Tracks and announced Monday, starts at $49 per day and allows buyers to use a dedicated lane at each chairlift. The price will vary based on high-demand days, the company said.
The U.S. Forest Service, which manages the land the ski area is located on, has looked into the matter. Deschutes National Forest District Ranger Kevin Larkin states that the agency will continue to evaluate information.
Havoc Ongoing in Portland
A crowd of 100 people wreaked havoc in downtown Portland last week, smashing storefront windows, lighting dumpsters on fire, and causing at least $500,000 in damage. But police officers didn’t stop them.
Portland Police Bureau officials say that’s because legislation passed by Oregon lawmakers this year restricts the tools they can use as people vandalize buildings and cause mayhem. The measure prohibits the use of things like pepper spray and rubber bullets for crowd control.
However there are exceptions, and lawmakers say police should still be able to use the tools they need to quell riots. Portland has seen ongoing, often violent protests since the murder of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis.
OSU Study on Sunscreen
A new study out of Oregon State University shows sunscreen with the common ingredient zinc oxide loses much of its effectiveness and becomes toxic after two hours of exposure to the sun.
Researchers at OSU say zinc oxide or titanium dioxide are effective at blocking UV rays, but they change and turn toxic after two hours of exposure and they lose 80-percent of their effectiveness. The study was published in Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences.
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