LINCOLN CITY – Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital is hosting a public event from 2:30-4 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 23 to talk about its project to secure an independent, reliable source of clean water so the hospital can keep operating after a disaster, such as a Cascadia earthquake.
“When – not if – this happens, our hospital must be prepared to operate independently for weeks,” said Dr. Lesley Ogden, Samaritan Coast Hospitals chief executive officer. “Without a reliable four-week supply of water, our ability to provide life-saving care will be crippled.”
The project is similar to one already underway at Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital in Newport.
A state analysis by the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries estimates a magnitude 9 earthquake could damage 90 percent of buildings in Lincoln County and cause about 1,430 injuries, with roughly 290 requiring hospitalization.
Such a quake could also sever the hospital’s water supply. The hospital relies on the city of Lincoln City’s water system, much of it built before modern seismic standards and with no adequate backup source.
The water resiliency project will give the hospital its own four-week supply of water.
The project is a collaboration between the hospital, North Lincoln Health District, the North Lincoln Hospital Foundation and Dig Deep Research. Together, they so far have committed more than $600,000 with approximately $570,000 in further commitments from the foundation, Lincoln City and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The public event will be held in the conference room of the hospital’s Building 8, 2930 N.E. West Devils Lake Road.
