FORKS — The day of the disaster drill in Forks was partly sunny with a high of 74 degrees and a light breeze. When the Big One happens, it could be dark, raining sideways and 40 degrees.
That is why planning now is so important to identify the gaps, officials said.
The Cascadia Rising drill — which presumed that a 9.0-magnitude earthquake had struck in the Cascadia Subduction Zone off the Pacific coast — extended over four days, from Tuesday through Friday, through the rest of the region.
In Forks, it was telescoped into one day: Tuesday.
“In that type of emergency, we have to realize we will be on our own as an island for some time,” said Rod Fleck, city attorney and planner.
“We learned that we’ve got an amazing group of volunteers who run our ham radio system, our fire department and our emergency medical system,” he said.
“A lot of people with skills would be volunteering to help . . . We have good means of communicating amongst ourselves.
“We discovered that CB [citizens band] radios could be invaluable,” he added, saying that although the radios in log trucks have a limited range, loggers can relay from one to another.
“We realized we could have a pretty good net outside of the Forks community,” he said.
Said Mayor Bryon Monohon: “If the big one ever happens . . . Forks is a community that will step up. We can’t stop them.”
Personnel with the city of Forks, Forks Police Department, Fire District No. 1, Forks Community Hospital, Quillayute Valley School District and several knowledgeable community members came together during the drill.
In the exercise, the earthquake hit at 8:03 a.m.
The Forks City Council Chambers became an emergency operations center. Other command centers were located at the fire hall, the school and the hospital.
As the power went out, the city’s generator came on to light key locations in the building.
There were no phones, no Internet. Communication was by radio.
Here is a record of radio reports:
8:15 a.m. — Ham radio operator John Richmond walks from his house a block away and takes over operation of the radio.
There are 50 inmates/staff in the jail, and a portion of the brick wall has fallen down.
8:20 a.m. — Forks Police Administrator Rick Bart sends Officer Mike Gentry out to assess damage.
Bart is concerned about the 80 or so propane tanks in the area. Ferrellgas has recently filled its large tank. If it explodes, it could take out a mile-and-a-half area.
Red Cross volunteer Milton Beck recommends that the person turning off the tank not be wearing polyester.
8:40 a.m. — Word comes in from the fire department that there has been a partial collapse of its building.
Two trucks are available since the others are stuck in the collapse.
Power lines are down. There are problems on Russell Road.
8:45 a.m. — Damage to the old section of Forks Community Hospital is reported.
8:47 a.m. — An ambulance is needed at Forks Elementary School, power lines are down on Spartan Avenue and water lines are broken.
Richmond tries to reach the local radio station on the ham radio.
Monohon has arrived at the council chambers, along with several council members. A few community members with skills are arriving to help.
8:50 a.m. — Report from Paul Hampton of the Public Works Department that the well at the compound has been damaged.
8:55 a.m. — Ken Lambert with Forks 1490 AM radio station walks there to make announcement about the school and downed power lines.
Hampton reports a large amount of water coming down the hill.
8:57 a.m. — Security needed at Forks Outfitters. Water department personnel check water mains.
9:03 a.m. — Ferrell propane tank secure. Riot at Outfitters. Minor injuries in the jail.
9:07 a.m. — Excavator en route to Fire Hall; estimated time of arrival 30 minutes.
9:10 a.m. — Several city water tanks are destroyed. The LDS church is available as a shelter.
Four students and one teacher are missing at the elementary school, where part of the roof has collapsed.
Red Cross is taking a trailer to the school, going across the field to get there instead of the road.
Need an officer at the school, where parents are showing up.
9:15 a.m. — Student and teacher found. Radio station informing parents where to go.
9:20 a.m. — Report of first tsunami. Repeated attempts to contact the county and state. No contact made.
9:25 a.m. — All bridges in the area are reported out.
9:30 a.m. — Ham radio operator finally makes contact with state. A drift boat has been located to use at the river crossing.
9:34 a.m. — Bus accident reported on the other side of the Calawah bridge.
9:40 a.m. — Mayor signs a declaration of emergency. Excavator arrives at the fire hall. No contact with La Push.
9:45 a.m. — Assembly of God Church has trees down. The new Rainforest Arts Center is gone.
9:47 a.m. — Bogachiel bridge is reported out. Chinook Pharmacy has collapsed, will need some security on scene. Trying to contact logging companies with CB radios.
10 a.m. briefing — No officers available for the hospital.
10:45 a.m. — Contact made with Jefferson County.
11:05 a.m. — Still no contact with Port Angeles.
11:10 a.m. — A-Ka-Lat Center at La Push reports casualties on CB. Clallam Bay Corrections Center has injuries and collapsed areas.
11:35 a.m. — Riot at True Value; mob trying to get guns and ammunition; multiple officers needed.
Noon — Patients being moved to Bogachiel Clinic. Those needing long-term care go to St. Anne’s Church.
1:20 p.m. — Finally hear from Port Angeles. Hospital has patient with mental issues and needs help.
1:27 p.m. — Multiple fires reported. Some are left to burn.
2:15 p.m. — Hospital running low on water and food. People outside City Hall demanding that things get fixed.
2:30 p.m. — School has about 300 students and staff that will need to spend the night. Need to shelter about 100 homeless.
3 p.m. — Start making plans for after dark.
Civilian sentries are deputized, a 9 p.m. curfew is set and rules of engagement are created.
Other topics discussed between the scenarios were where to put the dead, sanitation, unsafe structures and who makes that decision, a central location for handwritten bulletins and many other questions.
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Christi Baron is the editor of the Forks Forum, part of the Olympic Peninsula News Group, which is composed of Sound Publishing newspapers Peninsula Daily News, Sequim Gazette and Forks Forum. Reach her at cbaron@forksforum.com.
