Review: State's megaquake plan ‘grossly inadequate'

SEATTLE — The results of the largest disaster drill ever conducted in the Pacific Northwest found Washington is under prepared for a major earthquake.

In June, 23,000 emergency responders took part in Cascadia Rising, a four-day training exercise testing catastrophic scenarios.

A draft report reviewed by the Seattle Times gives Seattle, and the entire state and region, a failing grade when it comes to the response to a massive earthquake. State officials called their own response plans "grossly inadequate."

According to the Times, the government's ability to help people after a massive earthquake is so limited, instead of asking people to have three days’ worth of food and water on hand, they're going to recommend that people have enough resources to last for two weeks.

The report also warns that there could be a humanitarian disaster within 10 days of a major earthquake.

FEMA's report of the exercise found emergency management operations throughout the region are in bad shape, with low staffing and budget shortages.

Communication and transportation are two critical areas.

The report outlines long delays to get major roads reopened after damage and a failure in the satellite phones that were supposed to be used to coordinate response.

The state's emergency management officials plan to meet with Governor Jay Inslee to discuss the study and the shortfalls in January.

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