28 Mar Case Study: “The Cascadia Quake—A Public Health Preparedness Challenge”

A magnitude 8.9 earthquake hits the Pacific Northwest, causing major structural damage across Washington and Oregon. Bridges collapse, water treatment systems fail, multiple hospitals lose power, and two counties report chemical leaks from damaged industrial sites. Public health agencies must coordinate with emergency management, healthcare coalitions, and community partners to contain secondary health threats.

Within 72 hours the following issues emerge:

1,250 displaced residents living in temporary shelters
Severe drinking water contamination in two counties
Emergency departments operating on backup power
Increase in gastrointestinal illness among shelter residents
Medication access disruptions for people with chronic diseases
Reports of poor coordination between public health, EMS, and hospitals
Confusion in communication: inconsistent emergency messages reaching the public
Your regional health department director has asked you—an operations and population health specialist—to provide an assessment and short-term plan.

Student Tasks (3–4 pages)

Identify the key public health functions that should activate immediately (assessment, policy development, assurance).
Map the preparedness gaps using the capabilities from Chapter 3 (surveillance, communication, incident command, environmental health response, etc.).
Describe the populations most at risk and the social determinants affecting recovery.
Develop a prioritized 72-hour public health action plan, including:
Disease surveillance
Risk communication strategy
Emergency shelter health operations
Coordination with healthcare systems
Identify short-term and long-term preventive measures to reduce morbidity and restore essential services.