By Justin Andress, The Mountain Times
As part of his position as Resilience Coordinator for Clackamas County’s Office of Disaster Response and Management, Jay Wilson researches, studies, and executes disaster preparedness plans. On December 17, the official took his message to the people as he addressed a crowded room at the Mt. Hood Lions Club.
It was somehow fitting that the night was covered in torrential rains. However, the inclement weather didn’t deter the meeting’s attendees, who began to file in about 30 minutes before the scheduled start time. They chatted amiably and nibbled on complimentary cookies and chips.
In spite of the stiff chairs and plastic tables, the Mt. Hood Lions Club is cozy and inviting. The yellow paint and wood-paneled walls are undeniably cheerful. The eclectic assortment of art covers every topic from golf to Bigfoot and practically begs to be examined up close. The Lions Club is a shrine to the culture of Mt. Hood. It’s also an ideal meeting spot for several groups on the mountain.
Ostensibly, the Office of Disaster Response and Management called the meeting to honor the extraordinary damage done by the “Christmas Flood” of 1964. The damage it caused was so horrific that the governor declared the whole state a disaster area at the time. More than 1,500 people lost their homes to the rising waters of the Sandy River. The Christmas Flood is still considered a landmark event in the area. However, the real purpose of the meeting was not to scour over the details of an historic event. It was to help promote the need to prepare for the next one.
In calling attention to the widespread damage done by the 1964 flood, as well as the havoc caused by two subsequent floods in 1996 and 2011, Wilson had his eyes fixed firmly on the future. Indeed, during his presentation — which was called “A Flood of Information” — Wilson laid out steps to prevent catastrophe amid a severe weather event.
“We just wanted to recognize [the flood] and tie that anniversary into an event that helps people get ready for flood season,” he said. Oregon tends to see its most intense flooding between November and April.
Wilson spends most of his time on the job studying and preparing for the disasters common to the Mt. Hood region. As the Resilience Coordinator, Wilson covers “hazard mitigation, which is trying to reduce risk before disasters, and recovery planning … so you’re not scrambling in the pressure of the moment and maybe making decisions that don’t put you in a better place.”
However, before he doled out tips to the assembled group, Wilson opened the festivities with some entertainment. Local singer-songwriter Will Frank sang a sea shanty about the vengefulness of the Sandy River. Wilson himself brought along a documentary that catalogued the impact of the Christmas Flood. The latter is available online — just visit Clackamas County’s YouTube page and search for “Christmas Flood.” For those residents with a flare for the historical, the two-part documentary is well worth the nearly 16 minutes it takes to watch.
Wilson is a natural public speaker. His knowledge of the topic and his calm speaking voice were met with enthusiasm by the crowd. He easily fielded impromptu questions and comments (of which there were a few).
Wilson’s message is clear: disaster preparedness is not just an individual responsibility but a collective one. By coming together as a community, residents can better safeguard their homes, businesses, and lives against the unpredictable forces of nature.
The presentation was a mixture of nostalgia and awe as Wilson covered his material. There were audible gasps from the audience as he showed pictures and video that catalogued the damage from past floods.
One of the most important lessons that Wilson and his team hoped to get across to their audience was the nature of the Sandy River. Unlike other rivers that climb the banks during a heavy downpour before eventually spilling out onto the ground, the Sandy River erodes the soil, loosening it and leaving the potential for homes and businesses to get swept away when the flood waters rise.
In addition to disaster planning, Wilson discussed the challenges faced by the community in the wake of recent floods that occurred in 1996 and 2011. He also showed new maps of the Zig Zag River.
Though most may not like to think about disaster striking, Wilson is spot-on when he says, “Everyone has this kind of thing in common, whether it’s the river or the fires. It’s a community issue and a community-driven concern. We want to be able to be there to help facilitate what we know, what we don’t know, and what we need to do to fill the gaps.”
The information from Wilson’s presentation — as well as other disaster prep tips — can be found on the Clackamas County website.