What do you like and dislike about living in Florence OR? (Portland: apartment, house)

[Cloudy Dayz]

Originally Posted by texasdiver

I don't know that it would be worse. But the coast is more isolated and dependent on the outside for pretty much everything. A couple of the highways to the valley get destroyed and 101 gets major damage in a few places, like some major bridges go out. And it could be years until real connections to the rest of the world get restored. There aren't alternative roads other than 101 and the few mountain roads that through to the valley. There are no railroads. There are no modern ports that can receive container ships. There are no airports that can take jets. How do you get stuff into the coast other than air-dropping essential emergency supplies?

By contrast, the larger cities in the valleys have endless alternative highways and are much more impervious to damage. If sections of I-5 get buckled up they can have machinery in and level it back off in a day or two. If a mile-long section of 101 slides into the sea it will take months of blasting to carve another highway back along those cliffs. Portland and Vancouver can take endless amounts of container shipments from elsewhere. There are railroads heading north, south, and east. And there is just a lot more foodstuffs grown and processed there locally.

Yes, Portland will be in a world of hurt if some of the bridges come down. But there are also newer bridges that are seismically retrofitted compared to many of the historic 1930s bridges along 101 that would be hugely time consuming to replace. So if 3 or 4 bridges in Portland get wiped out there will be epic traffic, but trucks will still get through on the remaining newer bridges.

What? 1. There are many alternative roads between the coast and the valley. Not highways standard roads, but there are many alternative roads. 2. We have several rail lines that service the coast. 3. We do have a port that can handle container ships. 4. We have modern airports that can handle most size jets.

Why do you people who don't even live here worry so much about it? Thanks for your concern, be we will be just fine. We have modern communities with all the same transportation options that you all have, air, land, sea. We will be just fine if these disasters of biblical proportions, that you keep predicting come true. I'd be more worried about your own cities, then us.

[texasdiver]

Originally Posted by Cloudy Dayz

What? 1. There are many alternative roads between the coast and the valley. Not highways standard roads, but there are many alternative roads. 2. We have several rail lines that service the coast. 3. We do have a port that can handle container ships. 4. We have modern airports that can handle most size jets.

Why do you people who don't even live here worry so much about it? Thanks for your concern, be we will be just fine. We have modern communities with all the same transportation options that you all have, air, land, sea. We will be just fine if these disasters of biblical proportions, that you keep predicting come true. I'd be more worried about your own cities, then us.

Between Newport and Coos Bay there are four roads connecting the coast to the valley that all pass through very rugged slide-prone mountain terrain. And the only connection between them is US101 which crosses a lot of steep slide-prone rocky hillsides and crosses a lot of old 1930s bridges that would not be simple or quick to replace. They have been doing some seismic upgrades on the old bridges but that is basically just trying to tie the sections together so they don't totally separate and collapse in a quake. An epic 9.2 quake like the Good Friday quake in Anchorage could take out all the bridges along 101 and major sections of the highway as well as close sections of of the mountain roads to the valley.

None of that would prevent me from living on the coast if that is what I wanted to do. I wouldn't live in a Tsunami zone as that is just asking for trouble. And I would make a more serious effort to be prepared for extended disaster just like I would if I lived in Florida. Food, water, shelter, power, etc. etc. That just seems common sense. People would not die of starvation or exposure. This isn't Pakistan or Bangladesh. But judging from the experiences of people who have gone through major disasters like Katrina, the recovery at the other end can be very long and difficult. And self-sufficiency is a big advantage.

[pnwguy2]

Living on the Oregon coast is fine. In fact it is terrific with great scenery and mild temps year round. Gotta love that trip from Eugene to Florence in August with a 30 degree temperature drop!

But again be wary of the OR coast as the earthquake threat is real.

[pdxMIKEpdx]

So when was the last big earthquake scare?

[Cloudy Dayz]

Originally Posted by pdxMIKEpdx

So when was the last big earthquake scare?

Legend has it, in 1700.

[pnwguy2]

Originally Posted by Cloudy Dayz

Legend has it, in 1700.

The best stats are that the last mega thrust quake off the NW coast was indeed 1700. Scientific evidence has concluded that these type of quakes occur in intervals of 300-500 years. So again, it could happen in the next week, or not in our lifetimes.

[pdxMIKEpdx]

So my take on this, is that people should be aware of the situation, but it really doesn't have to be at the tip-top of anyone's mind, and cause un-needed worry for anyone that wants to move to Florence or the Oregon Coast?

It just seems to me that every time a coastal re-location is brought up here, it is one of the very first things mentioned.

I can see Mt Hood from my bedroom window, but I don't worry about it erupting every day.

[pdxMIKEpdx]

BTW, I was around for Mt St Helens, in fact, I had a pretty good front row seat.

But I don't dwell on it every time I see a mountain.

[PNW-type-gal]

Because the risks levels are not the same. The Cascades are volcanoes, yes, but the threat assessments on most of them is that the biggest hazard is a hot or cold debris flow, which might be caused by a small eruptive event or even just a rain-induced landslide. That is the threat most often associated with Mt Baker, Mt Rainier, Mt Hood and Mt Shasta.

The volcanoes in the Cascades are very similar to other volcanoes in the rest of the Ring of Fire, which gives many more data points and examples. The Cascadia Subduction Zone is an entirely different animal, without any real peers, which means that the data and the hazard assessments tend to be specific for the location.

Although I'd agree that every thread on the coast shouldn't turn into a referendum on this issue - a reference to the Oregon Dept of Geology or the USGS's info should be sufficient.

[darwinspal]

Originally Posted by maverick974

I lived in Florence and the surrounding area for 25 years. It was wonderful and I have no regrets but the weather finally got to me. The constant and incessant rain finally sent me south to tropical breezes and desert landscape.
Florence is beautiful with all the trees, all the lakes and of course the Siuslaw river going through town. The town has slowed down in recent years and doesn't have the vitality it once had but it's still a cool place if you like the rain.
Be aware that it's a "good ole boys" kind of place. The power brokers in Florence love the control they have and are not likely to give it up any time soon and that shows in what happens in Florence. Change is difficult to achieve there. Business has slowed there drastically in the last 10 years but it's still a cool place to have a business if you are so inclined.
The sand dunes there are pretty cool and the beaches are fabulous if you don't mind the rain and wind. Miles upon miles of sandy beaches with not a soul on them.
The shopping is ok and the drive to Eugene is only about an hours or less so you can anything you want there.
Personally, I liked Florence although I couldn't live there again. I thought it was better than most other coastal towns with the exception of the politics and bureaucracy there.

"...tropical breezes and desert landscape." -- Hi! Curious what state you ended up in, because desert landscapes and tropical breezes don't usually go hand in hand because of the difference in humidity. I'd love a place like that. Thanks!