We're taking risks if we get to the end of July in our region and we have not prepared a "go-kit" in case of evacuation. The dry landscape is actually on fire in many areas, bringing firefighters in and forcing nearby landowners out.
Local and state governments have put in some work in recent years, identifying evacuation zones and distributing information about which zones people live in, and what routes to take if an evacuation is ordered.
It's a lot of information to convey, and still a work in progress. We take some extra time with both the Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM) and with Jackson County's emergency operation. Patience Winningham from OEM and Holly Powers, the Jackson county's emergency manager, are our guests.
Signing up for alerts:
Oregon: https://oralert.gov/
California: https://calalerts.org/signup.html
Finding your evacuation zone is trickier, because it is county-by-county and city-by-city.
In Jackson County:
https://www.jacksoncountyor.gov/departments/emergency_management/know_your_zone.php
