By Deborah Maynard, Lt Col, CAP USAF and TC4 Member
Article #5 in the Great Shake Out Series sponsored by Tillamook County Citizen Corps Council - TC4
Tillamook Bay Fire and Rescue suits up in response to the staged accident with a tanker truck carrying anhydrous ammonia (toxic) and a van carrying a group of people (CAP actors).
Volunteers staffing an assembly site with information available for the public.
Tillamook County residents turned out in unprecedented numbers on October 15th for the Great ShakeOut 2026 —the county’s largest earthquake and tsunami preparedness exercise to date. Organized by the Tillamook County Citizens Corps Council (TC4) which has a membership of 10 volunteer emergency preparedness groups: Bay City Emergency Volunteer Corps, Cape Meares Emergency Volunteer Corps, Emergency Volunteer Corps of Nehalem Bay, Garibaldi Emergency Volunteers, Nedonna Beach Neighborhood Association, Netarts Emergency Response Volunteers, Oceanside Volunteer Emergency Readiness Team, Rockaway Beach Emergency Preparedness Corps, South Tillamook County Emergency Volunteer Corps, and Tillamook Emergency Volunteer Corps. In addition to the volunteers, there was a multitude of amazing and dedicated partners that included government entities, healthcare agencies, fire and rescue services, law enforcement agencies, utility companies, community organizations, schools and individuals! This year’s event marked the fourth annual Tillamook County Great ShakeOut exercise, and has been the most successful in raising awareness, sharing information and practicing the crucial evacuation to your designated Assembly Area.
Drop - Cover - Hold On!
Preparedness in Action:
At 10:15 a.m., participants across the county practiced Drop, Cover, and Hold On and then evacuate to a safe location (out of inundation zone or unsafe structures) and then on to their designated Assembly Area (Community/Public), or Neighborhood Gathering Site (Neighbors) if one has been established.
The scenario simulated a moderate-to-large scale local earthquake followed by the need for immediate tsunami evacuation. This exercise highlighted the importance of personal preparedness and quick response.
John Beaston, EVCNB Communications Lead at the Great ShakeOut, operates a net control during the exercise.
Strong Leadership and Broad Community Engagement:
Exercise planners emphasized the importance of collaboration across cities, county leadership, emergency volunteers, healthcare, law enforcement, schools, businesses, and parks. This year saw especially strong engagement from: City and County Leaders, Tillamook County Emergency Management, neighborhood CERT volunteers and various community partners. All Three School Districts (Neahkahnie, Nestucca and Tillamook School Districts) played a HUGE role in full “Drop, Cover, Hold On and Evacuate to their designated Assembly Areas. The Assembly Areas recorded exceptional participation, signing participants in as they arrived. Assembly Areas were staffed with trained greeters, who shared educational materials, demonstrated preparedness equipment such as Go-Bags, and answered questions, and Communications Lead volunteers that reported the # of participants at each receiving site.
The local Tillamook County Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) flew the coast from Manzanita to Sand Lake using an Aerial Photographer to graphically document the Assembly Areas from the air for review and future reference. The photography mission took pictures at established coordinates provided by TC4 ahead of the exercise. Fire and Rescue and the Tillamook Adventist Hospital were instrumental in getting the word out for their communities and participating in an additional graded mass casualty exercise (located at the Tillamook County Fair Grounds) following the Great ShakeOut exercise. CAP cadets and volunteer nursing students played the victims, made up to resemble injured individuals (moulaged by the CAP volunteers).
John Handler, EVCNB volunteer showing a community member about a Go Bag.
Many local businesses county-wide assisted with promotion and staff participation for the exercise and general preparedness. The communications leads relayed the number of individuals at each site via GMRS and HAM radio networks through Zone Nets to the Incident Command set up in the new Emergency Management Offices (in the old BLM building recently purchased by the county). In an actual disaster, this vital communication line would be notifying Incident Command where groups of individuals are for evacuation, supply drops, injuries, etc. According to exercise evaluators, communication between Assembly Areas, net control, and Tillamook County Emergency Management was timely, effective, clear and successful. The value of this exercise was apparent as participants reported increased awareness of evacuation procedures, preparedness principles, and the value of having a well-equipped Go Bag. Tillamook County’s goal is to have universal, clear terminology and information countywide to enable our community to be as prepared and safe as possible should we be faced with the unthinkable!
Velda Handler, RN, Medical Reserve Corps Coordinator volunteers at one of the Nehalem Bay Assembly Areas.
Year-Over-Year Participation Surges
Participation in the Great Shakeout exercise has grown by 872.5% since 2023 which was the first year the Great ShakeOut was sponsored as a countywide event by TC4! This significant increase reflects growing community awareness and commitment to emergency preparedness, as well as the success of TC4’s countywide outreach efforts.
There was another year of continued increase in participation:
● 2023: 455 participants
● 2024: 741 participants
● 2025: 3,921 participants
● 2026: 4,425 participants (12.9% improvement countywide over 2025)
These efforts include distributing flyers, publishing articles, conducting business visits, delivering presentations to community organizations, members and leaders, engaging schools, and implementing community social media campaigns. This year TC4 was able to place 4X4 posters around the city thanks to the Tillamook Chamber of Commerce’s four new sign locations. The Tillamook Coliseum Theater provided a complimentary showing of the documentary, “Rumblings” as part of community awareness the weekend before the Great Shakeout. This movie provided in-depth information about subduction zones and faults including the subsequent earthquakes and tsunamis after these faults move.
Looking Ahead:
The post-exercise evaluations identified several opportunities for improvement in the year ahead, including a review of Assembly Areas, emphasis on clarifying definitions, expanding Go Bag education, and being a resource for ongoing information as well as engaging in ongoing exercises. Throughout the evaluation, one message remained consistent: Preparedness relies on practice and repetition—not a one-time effort. Just as regular fire drills help build response acknowledgement and muscle memory, repeatedly practicing evacuation procedures helps individuals and families respond more confidently and effectively when an emergency occurs. The Great ShakeOut 2026 demonstrated that Tillamook County is continuing to build a stronger, more resilient community—one where neighbors know their evacuation routes, support one another, and recognize the importance of being prepared and responding quickly.
Mark your calendars!
The Great ShakeOut 2027 will take place on October 21, 2027, at 10:21 a.m. This annual earthquake preparedness exercise is part of a worldwide effort, with participation at the national, state, and count levels. Preparedness is an ongoing commitment. By practicing together, staying informed, and looking out for one another, Tillamook County can continue strengthening our readiness and resilience to respond successfully to any wide-spread emergency and increase the chance for survival!