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Eugene -Springfield Area Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan <br />2. Hazard Descriptions <br />information about possible earthquakes on Oregon faults. This model presents an <br />expected level of damage associated with an earthquake with a 2-percent chance of <br />occurring in the next 50-years. This probabilistic model suggests the Eugene - <br />Springfield area can expect the partial collapse of weak buildings and the <br />movement of unsecured wood -frame houses. <br />While all earthquakes possess the potential to cause major damage, subduction zone <br />earthquakes pose the greatest danger due to the severity, duration, and extent of <br />ground shaking. Within Oregon, a major CSZ incident could generate an earthquake <br />with a magnitude of 9.0 or greater, likely resulting in significant damage and loss of <br />life in Eugene -Springfield. Another way to assess the probability of an earthquake <br />for Oregon communities west of the Cascades is to consider the CSZ incident <br />independently. <br />According to the Oregon NHMP, the reoccurrence interval period for the largest of <br />the CSZ earthquakes (magnitude 9.0+) is 530 years with the last incident occurring <br />320 years ago in January of 1700. The probability of a 9.0+ CSZ incident occurring <br />in the next 50 years ranges from 7 - 12%. Notably, 10 - 20 "smaller" magnitude 8.3 <br />- 8.5 earthquakes identified over the past 10,000 years affected only the southern <br />half of Oregon and northern California. The average reoccurrence interval period <br />for these incidents is roughly 240 years. The combined probability of any CSZ <br />earthquake occurring in the next 50 years is 37 - 43%. This puts the odds of having <br />a significant (magnitude 8.0+) earthquake from the Cascadia fault line at roughly <br />one in three over the next 50 years.29 <br />Eugene -Springfield categorizes the probability of a CSZ incident as moderate and <br />the probability of intraplate and crustal earthquakes as low. Given the potential for <br />damage and the probability of occurrence, Eugene -Springfield is primarily focused <br />on a potential CSZ incident for earthquake mitigation planning purposes. <br />2.3.6 Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment <br />In 2014 the Cities of Eugene and Springfield conducted a Regional Climate and <br />Hazards Vulnerability Assessment to inform the prior edition of the NHMP. The <br />Project Team, for this edition, determined the vulnerabilities listed below generally <br />remain valid for preparing this edition. The assessment team met with local and <br />regional experts in the communication, drinking water, electricity, food, healthcare, <br />housing, natural systems, public health, public safety, transportation, stormwater, <br />and wastewater sectors. The assessment identifies the following specific <br />earthquake -related vulnerabilities: <br />28 United States of America. Oregon National Guard. Office of Emergency Management. Oregon <br />Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan: Region 3-Mid/South Willamette Valley. Salem, OR: Office of <br />Emergency Management, 2015. 534-46. <br />2-16 January 2020 <br />