The state must do more to prepare Oregon for a catastrophic disaster

The purpose of this audit was to determine the status of state agency and local emergency management efforts to prepare for a catastrophic event, such as a Cascadia earthquake and tsunami, in Oregon, US. This audit conducted a survey of state agencies and local emergency management programs. It also interviewed staff at the Office of Emergency Management (OEM), other executive branch agencies, and the legislative and judicial branches of state government. The auditors also researched programs in other states and assessed emergency management program standards.

This audit includes 11 recommendations, five to OEM and six to the Governor’s Office. These recommendations include such actions as completing, implementing, and exercising emergency and continuity plans; meeting minimum emergency management program standards; reporting on efforts to improve state resilience; defining roles and responsibilities and assessing and filling resource gaps.