GSOC Hosts Earthquake Conference for Anhui Province Delegation

November’s Anhui Province Delegation Earthquake Preparedness Conference (Xia Dengyun, Wang Chunlei, Da Jiulin, Zheng Shudong, Wang Xiaoming, Wang Jinjing, Ai Li, Cheng Bin, Cheng Yongpin, Wu Shoufa, Xu Shilu, Chen Shuo, Zhang Xuwen Wang Chenghua, Zhao Xuebing, Chen Yusen with Organizer GSOC Vice-President Sheila Alfsen, Dr. Scott Burns, Bill Burgel and Larry Kotan (not pictured).

by Sheila Alfsen

As part of our mission to promote Cascadia awareness, GSOC President-elect Sheila Alfsen hosted a two-day Earthquake Preparedness Conference in November for Chinese government delegates from the Department of Land and Resources of Anhui Province. The group was interested in learning about precautionary measures that the United States has adopted in response to earthquakes, including early warning systems, emergency responses and data analysis to identify future events.

Vice-President/2019 President-nominee Sheila Alfsen coordinated the two day program, held on November 5 and November 9th in Cramer Hall at Portland State University. She gave a preliminary lecture on the basics of all three geologic hazards and their causes and mitigation procedures. Bill Burgel of GSOC talked about seismic and lahar early warning systems and flood control measures for the Columbia and Willamette Rivers.

Sheila and translator Wang Zishan.

Scott Burns discussed urban landslides and methods to identify hazards and prepare assessment and risk maps. He included the technology of LIDAR and many images of mass movement locally. GSOC member Larry Kotan gave a presentation of Portland’s NET program; Neighborhood Emergency Teams of Portland residents that are trained to be first responders by the Portland Bureau of Emergency Management.

During their visit to the Portland area, the delegates talked to emergency management officials in Clackamas County and Salem. Their primary reason for visiting the Portland area was to attend the workshop put on by GSOC members.

In September 2018, Jessica Su, program director of MGC International, contacted GSOC through our website and asked us to design and conduct a training session for Chinese government delegates from the People’s Republic of China. MGC International is a contractor of the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs of the P.R. China. GSOC is proud to be able to respond to such requests! Contact us to arrange for public speaking on Cascadia Earthquake Preparedness.

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