The Stephens family practices earthquake drills at their home in North Portland. Experts say during an earthquake you should drop, cover, and hold on until the shaking stops.
Nate Sjol / OPB
Brook Gowin knows she could be isolated and unable to reach her friends or family in the event of a major disaster, like an earthquake.
She lives alone in apartment complex, and has a hard time getting around because of physical limitations.
"Climbing over things is very difficult for me. I have to kind of hang onto my leg and help it up and down a lot," she said. "If I were climbing over debris trying to get out of the house … I'm in trouble."
Disaster relief organizations like the American Red Cross and the Federal Emergency Management Agency recommend everyone has a plan in place to reach loved ones after a disaster.
"I have two really close friends right here — one person fairly close in Gresham and another friend right up on the bluff above the Sandy River," Brook said. "I definitely would be very distraught not being able to get a hold of them."
Brook hopes her friend in the neighboring city of Gresham will come and find her.
"Without a car, I can't really go anywhere to meet people," she said. "[My friend has] talked about if the power goes out she'll come get me. If she can't get a hold of me on the phone, she'll just come over. So, I think I would probably be one of the first people on her mind to come and get."
FEMA experts say redundancy planning ahead of time can pay dividends in a disaster.
After a major earthquake, phone and Internet lines of communication could be down or limited. A person should have a plan in place for anywhere they regularly spend time, such as work, school, faith organizations, sporting events or commuting.
FEMA recommends having a contact who lives outside of the disaster area who could let other friends and family know you are OK. The agency also says you should know neighborhood meet-up places and understand disaster plans for work and school. In the event of a disaster, you should should try texting your loved ones, rather than making phone calls on a crowded network.
Parents should drill disaster scenarios with their children too, so kids know what to do and where to go if they can't reach their parents.
Sara and Ed Johnson shine a flashlight in their pantry to see what they can make for their first "Living Off Your Quake Kit" dinner. The Johnsons have a flashlight in each room of their house.
John Rosman / OPB
The Johnsons use electric lanterns to prepare a meal in the dark at their home in Southeast Portland.
John Rosman / OPB
The Johnsons use electric lanterns to prepare a meal in the dark at their home in Southeast Portland.
John Rosman / OPB
The Johnson Family's first aid kit.
John Rosman / OPB
Ed and Sara Johnson made a breakfast of grits and toast on Saturday morning.
John Rosman / OPB
Ed and Sara Johnson decided to make a simple meal of vegetable pasta after they began running out of some of their emergency supplies. Sara Johnson said she needed to to learn how to do things like light the propane stove.
John Rosman / OPB
The Johnson stand outside their home in Southeast Portland.
John Rosman / OPB
The Johnsons sit outside of their house in Southeast Portland with their cat. One of their main concerns going into the earthquake simulation was whether or not they would have enough cat food in their household.
John Rosman / OPB
The Johnsons pose for a photo with what remains of their emergency supply kit after participating in a weekend-long earthquake simulation where they lived off their emergency supplies.
John Rosman / OPB
The Johnsons final dinner of the earthquake simulation consisted of tomatoes, bread and eggs.
John Rosman / OPB
One of the biggest challenges for the weekend was ensuring each family had enough potable water to last.
John Rosman / OPB
Sara Jonson smells a piece of toast they made without using a toaster. Throughout the course of a weekend, they were challenged to live off their emergency preparedness kit.
John Rosman / OPB
Ed and Sara Johnson sit with what remains of their water and propane supply. They say that over the course of the weekend they learned how to be more efficient with both.
John Rosman / OPB
"We used to have a deal that we would try to make it back to the house,” said Krista Eddy.
She and her her husband, Patrick Alexander, have a toddler, and they live in the coast town of Lincoln City. Because the area could be susceptible to a tsunami, they have started to feel their meet-up plan is lacking.
"It's going to be a difficult enough situation to deal with when you're at your best, trying to find loved ones," Patrick said.
Krista's mom, Donna, also lives in Lincoln City in the tsunami zone, and wouldn't be able to get to a shelter on her own.
When Krista talked about how she'd reach her, she took a deep breath.
"I would wait until everything settles down, and then make my way to her house to see — to just see, I guess," she said in a soft voice.