SALEM, Ore. — Gov. Tina Kotek has issued a sweeping executive order requiring Oregon’s state-owned and leased buildings to be upgraded for earthquake resilience, part of a decades-long plan to ensure state facilities can withstand the Cascadia Subduction Zone “Big One.”
Under the order, all new state-owned buildings larger than 10,000 square feet must be built to modern earthquake-proof standards. By 2060, every building owned or leased by the executive branch will need to either undergo seismic upgrades or be replaced.
Kotek said the measure is critical to ensuring that state facilities remain operational in the aftermath of a major quake.
“When a devastating earthquake hits Oregon, we need to be able to show up for Oregonians,” the governor said in a statement. “State employees are the backbone of emergency response, and they need safe places as they help families and communities recover. We cannot waver from this responsibility.”
The order comes as Oregon’s $598 million seismic retrofit of the nearly 90-year-old state Capitol nears completion. That project involved digging beneath the historic building’s foundation and installing flexible discs, allowing the structure to remain stable while the ground shifts beneath it.
Scientists warn that the Cascadia Subduction Zone, which last ruptured in the year 1700, is overdue for another catastrophic event. Seismologists estimate there is a 16% to 22% chance of a magnitude 8.7 or greater earthquake striking within the next 50 years. The likelihood of a partial rupture producing a magnitude 7.4 or higher quake is even greater, at 42%.
Chris Goldfinger, professor emeritus at Oregon State University’s College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, applauded the governor’s action.
“An M8-9 earthquake in our future is inevitable, and seismically sound state buildings will be crucial. This is the kind of proactive action Oregon needs,” Goldfinger said.
The governor’s order prioritizes retrofitting larger buildings over 50,000 square feet, those housing first responders, and facilities in strategic locations for emergency staging. State agencies like the Oregon Department of Education in Salem and the Bureau of Labor and Industries in Portland are among those slated for upgrades. Funding for the work, however, will require legislative approval.
Kotek’s directive aligns Oregon with other earthquake-prone regions, such as California and Japan, where seismic safety standards are integrated into public infrastructure planning. Advocates say it represents a generational investment in safety, resilience, and disaster preparedness, ensuring state facilities can double as emergency shelters, command posts, and supply hubs after a quake.
The anticipated Cascadia earthquake could rival some of the strongest ever recorded worldwide, including the 1960 Chilean earthquake (magnitude 9.5) and the 1964 Alaska earthquake (magnitude 9.2). Oregon’s proactive measures, experts argue, could mean the difference between chaos and coordinated recovery.
Originally reported by Alex Baumhardt in Governing.
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