On March 11, 2011, we watched pictures and videos from Japan that showed us the strength and power of a tsunami. These images merely reinforced the scenes of devastation we saw in 2004 from the Indian Ocean tsunami. We should never forget or ignore the fact that we are at risk for the same devastation on the Oregon coastline. The Cascadia Subduction Zone off the Oregon coast is similar in size and shape to the subduction zone that triggered the 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean. The last known earthquake on the Cascadia Subduction Zone occurred January 26, 1700. The geologic record reveals 41 of these massive earthquakes over the last 10,000 years, an average of one every 245 years. We’re overdue, it will happen again; we just don’t know when. And when the Cascadia Subduction Zone spawns its next massive earthquake, it will send a powerful tsunami racing towards the Oregon coastline. Join Oregon Emergency Management Geologic Hazards Coordinator Althea Rizzo and other experts at a series of free preparedness workshops in Oregon coastal communities this month. Members of the Oregon Red Cross and other emergency responders will also be available to provide preparedness tips and answer questions. Find out how you can get your family and community ready to survive a natural disaster.