How Portland Prepares for Disaster | 2025

News Article

The City is constantly preparing for all types of disasters. This includes hardening infrastructure, restoring our natural environment, investing in community resilience, and training, training, training.

Winter storms. Urban wildfire. Extreme heat. Floods. Cyberattack. Earthquake. The City of Portland plans for a wide range of hazards, some of which are becoming more frequent or more likely because of climate change.

Preparedness season is upon us. Preparedness Month is a nationwide effort to focus on preparing for emergencies, leading up to the Great ShakeOut on Oct. 16, a nationwide drill to drop, cover and hold on in the event of an actual earthquake.

NET volunteers practice skills to prepare for emergency. Portland has more than 1400 active volunteers.

The Portland Bureau of Emergency Management (PBEM) oversees Portland's disaster preparations, coordinating across City bureaus and working with partners at the county, state, and other local agencies. PBEM plays a leadership role in planning for all hazards, including tabletop exercises and training. (See below.)

Disaster planning is not a theoretical exercise. Every year, the City responds to multiple disasters. For example, a massive winter storm hit Portland in February 2025. Portland Bureau of Transportation crews worked around the clock, battling snow and ice, to ensure that critical routes were passable, plowing 1,703 miles of roadway. A winter storm in January 2024 spurred more than 4,000 calls to the Portland Water Bureau for emergency assistance. Crews worked 24/7 to keep water flowing, fixing 30 water main breaks throughout the city.

The City's disaster preparations focus on these core areas:

• Infrastructure resilience
• Environmental resilience
• Community resilience
• Training, training, training

Infrastructure Resilience

From water and sewer pipes to streets, sidewalks and parks, the City of Portland is responsible for vital infrastructure that needs protection from disasters.

Large storms, wildfires and events in the Bull Run Watershed can cause soil and debris to muddy our primary drinking water supply for days, weeks or months, depending on the severity. To address these risks, and to meet state and federal health regulations, the Portland Water Bureau is building the Bull Run Filtration Project and pipelines to keep our water safe and abundant for the nearly one million people who depend on it today and for future generations. The Water Bureau also completed a renovation of the Washington Park Reservoir in 2021. This once-in-a-generation project provides a seismically resilient water supply for 360,000 westside water users and a beautiful new reflecting pool and plaza. There is also ongoing work to maintain and replace pipes to better withstand extreme conditions.

The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) is the city's lead on fall, winter and spring weather emergencies. When temperatures drop below freezing, PBOT crews spray anti-icer on designated streets to help prevent travelers from slipping on black ice. In the event of winter weather, PBOT works to keep vital transit lines and emergency routes open. These "snow and ice" routes are the most critical for our city's police and fire stations, hospitals, schools, frequent bus routes, the downtown core, and major business districts -- about a third of our entire street grid. PBOT's mission is to provide at least one passable lane in each direction on these routes so that vehicles with front wheel drive or traction devices can get through. In Portland winters, snowstorms often transition to rain, which can then cause landslides onto city streets where PBOT crews clear rocks and debris. Visit PBOT's Guide to the Winter Weather Center to see their interactive map of "snow and ice" routes and track snowplows in real-time during a storm.

The Secondary Treatment Expansion Program strengthens the resilience of the Columbia Boulevard Wastewater Treatment Plant in case of major storms or earthquakes.

Climate change is intensifying the likelihood of urban wildfire. Portland Fire & Rescue helps people living in high-risk areas reduce the risk of wildfire and create defensible space around their homes. PF&R also works hard to inform people in denser residential areas of the city on how to best protect their homes should a large-scale fire occur within the city limits.

As Portland experiences hotter and drier summers, more intense rainstorms, and an increasing risk of floods, the Bureau of Environmental Services is hard at work upgrading infrastructure, integrating climate projections into design standards, and investing in floodplain restoration and other nature-based solutions to protect vulnerable communities, habitat, and wildlife.

The Secondary Treatment Expansion Program (STEP) is the largest upgrade to the Columbia Boulevard Wastewater Treatment Plant since the 1970s. This $515 million investment expands the plant's capacity and boosts it ability to operate in major storms or seismic events.

Environmental Resilience

One of the most important ways we can prepare for disaster is to work with nature.

The Bureau of Environmental Services is constantly working to reconnect and restore the city's floodplains to manage stormwater and reduce the risk of flooding. Restoring floodplains and allowing creeks to flow more naturally provides a natural defense against heavy rain by increasing water absorption and reducing the volume of stormwater rushing into our system.

Portland's rain gardens and other green infrastructure also play a vital role by catching and slowing stormwater runoff, allowing it to soak into the ground before it enters storm drains and waterways. Thanks to these efforts, flooding has been reduced for many streets, homes, and businesses.

Portland's trees provide immense environmental and community benefits such as shade in extreme heat and absorbing water during storms and floods. Portland Parks & Recreation's Urban Forestry team and partners plant thousands of trees every year to increase our urban tree canopy. Urban Forestry staff are on call 24/7 to respond to tree emergencies on roads, sidewalks, and public spaces, highlighting their readiness to act in crisis situations.

Portland Park Rangers play a vital role in any emergency, assisting in evacuations and providing information to the public.

Portland Park Rangers play crucial roles in response and recovery. In a disaster scenario, Rangers would assist in evacuations, provide information to the public, secure park areas, and collaborate with other City partners. Their presence would help maintain order and support communication between the community and response teams.

Portland Parks & Recreation is also working to prevent urban wildfire in Forest Park through its Firewise program partnership.

Together, these programs enhance the city's resilience by managing natural resources and ensuring public safety during catastrophic events.

Community Resilience

Portland's most valuable asset in withstanding disasters is our community.

Neighborhood Emergency Teams (NETs) embody the spirit of community resilience. More than 1,401 active volunteers-who complete extensive training-serve as vital partners in disaster readiness, response, and recovery, helping neighbors prepare, stay informed, and stay safe. Our NETs have logged 22,760 volunteer hours of service this year alone.

During Preparedness Month, more than 100 volunteers participated in a three-day, overnight camping and training exercise. Attendees included members of the Spanish-speaking Unidos NETs and guests from neighboring Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs).

We work with local partners through our Communities Active in Disasters initiative to prepare for and respond to emergencies. These groups provide life-safety information and resources to their communities in multiple languages and culturally appropriate ways.

The Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund's (PCEF) Cooling Portland program has installed more than 20,000 cooling units to Portlanders most at-risk for heat-related illness. These units help people stay cool during extreme heat, promoting health and reducing calls to 911.

Portland Parks and Recreation recently completed renovations to the Mt. Scott Community Center to make it a community resilience hub, providing shelter and services during extreme weather and other disasters.

Training, training, and more training

Portland firefighters constantly prepare for different types of emergency scenarios.

The Portland Bureau of Emergency Management (PBEM) plays a leadership role in planning for all disaster scenarios, including tabletop exercises and training. Recent scenarios include an exercise about a Johnson Creek Flood and a cyberattack exercise. PBEM officials recently made a presentation to Portland City Council about our work.

Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) trains year-round for all potential emergencies in any weather because environmental conditions affect both the types of emergencies and the impact the environment has on responders.

During winter months, PF&R ensures that all responding rigs are equipped with chains and safety gear. In the warmer months, crews prepare daily to potentially address heat-related emergencies.

PF&R joins business and non-profit partners to train in tabletop exercises ranging from heavy industrial sites to issues affecting community groups. PF&R provides expertise and learns about potential hazards from partners. As an all-hazards response organization that interacts with many different groups throughout the city, we know that information and planning are paramount to success during an emergency. These exercises are invaluable for establishing a solid working relationship with partners during emergencies.

We also train with other firefighting agencies in the region. Under the doctrine of mutual aid, we assist our partners when we have capacity, and they assist us when they have capacity. This training ensures that PF&R is prepared when responding outside Portland, and that all those coming to assist PF&R are prepared to help us.

Conclusion

Preparedness is everyone's responsibility. One thing you can do is sign up for public alerts at PublicAlerts.org and to explore the site to learn about hazards affecting your area.