Prepping in Portland
Portland faces a once-in-centuries earthquake and yearly ice, heat and smoke. The 2021 heat dome and 2024 ice storm showed how quickly normal life can stop.
- Earthquakes
- Ice storms
- Heat and smoke
Sign up today
The official Portland alert and lookup tools. Each takes a few minutes and works even if you do nothing else on this page.
- PublicAlertsSign up for PublicAlerts
The Portland metro area's official emergency alerts, used by the city and nearby counties.
- MyShake appGet MyShake
Free earthquake early warning from the ShakeAlert system. It can give you a few seconds to drop, cover and hold on before shaking arrives.
Links checked October 2026. Wireless Emergency Alerts reach most phones automatically; these add local detail.
What can go wrong in Portland
- Cascadia earthquake
- A magnitude 9 quake offshore could cause minutes of shaking and cut off roads and bridges across the region.
- Fuel supply risk
- Most of Oregon's fuel is stored in a riverside tank farm in Northwest Portland, on ground prone to liquefaction.
- Ice storms
- In January 2024, an ice storm left hundreds of thousands of customers in the region without power.
- Heat waves
- The 2021 heat dome pushed Portland to 116°F, and many homes have no AC.
- Wildfire smoke
- Smoke from fires in 2020 gave Portland some of the worst air quality in the world for days.
What that means for your plan
Oregon's emergency managers ask everyone to be 2 Weeks Ready. After a big Cascadia quake, roads, bridges and fuel supplies could be disrupted for much longer than a few days.
Plan for both cold and heat outages: sleeping bags for ice storms, and a fan, purifier and power station for summer heat and smoke.
Fuel may be scarce after a big quake. Keep your car above half a tank, and favor battery and solar power over gas generators.
Do these first, in this order
- Two weeks of water
The heart of 2 Weeks Ready.
Water storage and filters guide - PublicAlerts and MyShake
Official alerts plus earthquake early warning.
Radios and communication guide - Warmth without power
For ice storm outages.
Lighting and staying warm guide - Power station with solar
Doesn't depend on fuel deliveries.
Power stations and generators guide - HEPA purifier and N95s
For smoke season.
Go-bags and evacuation guide - First-aid kit and training
Help will be stretched thin after a big quake.
First aid and medical guide
Questions
How do I get emergency alerts in Portland?
Sign up for PublicAlerts, the Portland metro area's official emergency alert system, and install the MyShake app for earthquake early warning.
What does 2 Weeks Ready mean in Oregon?
It's the state's guidance to keep enough water, food and supplies to get by on your own for two weeks after a disaster like a Cascadia earthquake.
How ready is your Portland home?
The quiz weights every item for earthquake country risks and shows your top gaps. About 3 minutes, no sign-up.