We're in a fairly low-risk area. We're inland, so even if a mega-tsunami were to hit the Oregon coast, it would have to come 70 miles upstream before getting to Portand and the surrounding areas. We also don't have major earthquakes (although we need to remember that the devistating quake in Kobe, Japan, was not on a known major fault-line.)

It is my belief that anyone who has a "lets wait for the government to save me" is asking for trouble. That is a dangerous mentality to encourage.

Ok, well, let me digress - some years back Chicago had an overwheming snow storm. Everyone waited for the government to fix things. Cars were on the streets and in the way of plows. It was a nightmare. The mayor didn't "rescue" enough - and he lost his re-election bid. Sure enough, the new mayor eventually faced the same type of storm. What did she do? She told the people to get their cars out of the streets, to check on their neighbors, to actively take part in getting the city out of the predicament that it was in.

She showed leadership.

Now I can't begin to guess how horrible conditions are down there right now - but if I was running a town that was below sea-level and surrounded on three sides by water - I would have had a pretty good disaster plan ready to go.