IBHS News Releases

Citing Oregon’s vulnerability to earthquakes, wildfires, flooding, landslides, volcanic eruptions and other natural disasters, Kitzhaber made Oregon the first “Showcase State” on the west coast, and the first “Showcase State” to focus on earthquakes and wildfires. Rhode Island launched the initiative in December 1998 with a concentration on winds and flooding.

Oregon ranks third in the nation for earthquake damage estimates in the future, with projected losses in the Cascadia region in excess of $12 billion, 30,000 destroyed buildings and 8,000 lives lost. Floods and landslides in Oregon in 1996-97 alone caused more than $200 million in damage. Wildfires in the past decade have destroyed 100 homes.

The “Showcase State” initiative, developed by the Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), helps localities develop an environment that reduces disaster losses and promotes recovery in a shortened period of time with less outside assistance. A natural disaster often causes diminished productivity and reduced quality of life, yet the unprecedented public-private partnership will develop safety strategies to help communities reduce death, injury, property damage, and economic losses caused by natural disasters.

The SAFECO Corporation, headquartered in Seattle, spearheaded development of this initiative in Oregon and provided seed funds to the project.

The partnership includes IBHS, SAFECO, the University of Oregon Community Service Center, the Oregon Office of Emergency Management (a Division of the Department of State Police), the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries, the Department of Land Conservation and Development, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, many other state agencies, local governments and members of the business community.