Seismic Airwaves - podcast cover

Seismic Airwaves

Sabina
In times of disasters it's important to focus on facts, not fear. Join host Sabina Roan for conversations with first responders, scientists, disaster survivors, and many others to piece together the puzzles of disasters, emergency management, and resiliency. A multilingual podcast based in Portland, OR, and centered on earthquake risk in the Cascadia region. Visit seismicairwaves.com.
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Episodes

Ep. 19 BONUS: Portland Politics and Resilience II (Sarah Iannarone)

We pose a set of questions about resilience and local government to Sarah Iannarone, who is running in the November 2020 election for Mayor of Portland. Check out the other material for this episode to hear other candidates for Portland City Council answer the same set of questions. Technical Level: 2/5 Fear Factor: 1/5

Oct 27, 202020 min

Ep. 19 BONUS: Portland Politics and Resilience II (Chloe Eudaly)

We pose a set of questions about resilience and local government to Portland City Commissioner Chloe Eudaly, whose seat is up for election November 2020. Check out the main episode to hear Mingus Mapps, who is running against Commissioner Eudaly, answer the same set of questions.

Oct 20, 202029 min

Ep. 19: Portland Politics and Resilience II (Mingus Mapps)

November 2020 is approaching and bringing with it important elections at many scales. With this episode we introduce candidates for local office in Portland, OR to share their views on issues of emergency management and to more generally paint a picture of how local government is involved in the process. This episode is an interview with Mingus Mapps, running for City Council. Check out Episode 19 Bonus material for more! Technical Level: 3/5 Fear Factor: 1/5

Oct 13, 202025 minSeason 1Ep. 19

Ep. 18: Asteroids and Impact Preparedness (David G. Lewis + Victoria Pidgeon Andrews)

Chad Tucker steps into the hosting seat for this episode alongside his 9-year-old son, Rowan, who came up with this episode idea: Asteroid impacts and emergency preparedness! Today, we will be talking to Victoria P. Andrews who recently retired from the Planetary Defense Coordination Office at NASA about the work they do. We also will be discussing what asteroids are, how they are different from comets, and even highlight some ways that these celestial travelers have entered into our stories and...

Sep 29, 202041 minSeason 1Ep. 18

Ep. 17: University Preparedness and Response (Mary Ferris + Jim Caesar)

A university can act as a model or microcosm of a city. What lessons can be learned from how a university manages crises on and off campus? This episode features conversations with Dr. Mary Ferris, former Executive Director of Student Health, and Jim Caesar, Campus Emergency Manager, both of University of California Santa Barbara. They discuss the hazards faced by the university over their tenures including earthquake risk, wildfires, and an infectious disease outbreak of Meningitis B. Technical...

Sep 15, 202028 minSeason 1Ep. 17

Ep. 16: Mental Health in Ongoing & Sudden Crises (Meghan O’Connor)

Summer of 2020 is seeing “ pandemics ” centered in the public eye -- a coronavirus and structural racism pervading life and politics in the US. The impacts of structural dynamics such as racism, sexism, and poverty are repetitive and ongoing, while crises caused by illness and natural hazards can be more acute. Meghan O'Connor, therapist and Professor of Counseling Psychology, joins to discuss differences and similarities of trauma caused by these different impacts, and healing from both systemi...

Sep 01, 202039 min

Ep. 15 BONUS: History of Building Code (Mariola Sullivan)

This bonus content accompanies the main interview with Mariola Sullivan of Magnum Opus Engineering. Here, Mariola provides an overview of impact historical events leading up to the building codes we have today in the US, such as the Codes of Hammurabi and the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fires.

Aug 18, 202019 minSeason 1Ep. 15

Ep. 15: Seismic Safety through Building Code (Mariola Sullivan)

What does an earthquake actually do to a building, and what makes it safer for those inside? Mariola Sullivan, PE, joins for this episode to answer these questions from a civil engineering perspective: lateral forces and joints! Mariola takes us behind the codebooks to trace regulations used to control development and mitigate hazards in Portland from 1851 through the 1970s to today. The COVID-19 pandemic is leaving few aspects of society untouched. Because seismic safety standards are lower for...

Aug 18, 202045 minSeason 1Ep. 15

Ep. 14: Portland Politics and Resilience (Dan Ryan)

Candidates for Portland City Council must consider many issues: a housing crisis, police reform, a changing economy, and the list goes on. But have you wondered how candidates are considering disaster resiliency for all of Portland’s different communities? Chad Tucker sits down (remotely!) with Dan Ryan, candidate for City Council in the upcoming runoff election on August 11, 2020, to hear Dan’s views on emergency management and equitable inclusion. We also spoke with Jonna Papaefthimiliou at th...

Aug 04, 202032 minSeason 1Ep. 14

Ep. 13 BONUS: Phủ sóng Covid từ Đà Nẵng, Việt Nam (Bryan Nguyen)

Làm thế nào để đối phó với đại dịch COVID-19 ở Việt Nam so với Mỹ? Bryan Nguyen, một nhà nghiên cứu sinh viên Fulbright, đã đến Việt Nam vào đầu tháng 1 năm 2020 khi đại dịch đang ở giai đoạn đầu. Cuối cùng, anh đã chọn ở lại Đà Nẵng khi Bộ Ngoại giao Hoa Kỳ đưa ra cảnh báo du lịch của mình lên Giai đoạn 4, yêu cầu người Mỹ di tản khỏi nước sở tại của họ và trở về nhà. Anh nói chuyện với hai cư dân trẻ Đà Nẵng, Thiện Minh Hoang và Xuân Hà Vu Nguyen - một sinh viên tốt nghiệp ngành nghiên cứu môi...

Jul 28, 202053 minSeason 1Ep. 13

Ep. 13: Survivor Stories: Zero COVID-19 deaths in Vietnam (Bryan Nguyen)

How is the response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam compared to America? Bryan Nguyen, a Fulbright student researcher, arrived in Vietnam at the beginning of January 2020 when the pandemic was in its early stages. He eventually chose to stay in Da Nang as the U.S. State Department raised its travel alert to Stage 4, ordering Americans to evacuate their host countries and return home. He spoke to two young Da Nang residents, Thiện Minh Hoang and Xuân Ha Vu Nguyen, a graduate student in enviro...

Jul 28, 202031 minSeason 1Ep. 13

Ep. 12: Mental Health First Aid and Community Resiliency (Liz Reardon)

Liz Reardon “trains the trainer” for Mental Health First Aid, promoting peer-to-peer mental health support as a path of community resiliency. Liz joins this episode to talk about how to support each other in a time of isolation, pandemic social distancing, and mass trauma. Technical Level: 2/5 Fear Factor: 3/5

Jul 14, 202039 minSeason 1Ep. 12

Ep. 11: Pandemic Stories from China to Oregon (Victor Tran)

Victor Tran guest hosts this episode. The full interviews with Huang Xiang Yan and Maggie Lee are available as the episode Bonus in Mandarin Chinese. They talk about the experiences with the pandemic in Xiamen and Harbin, China, and how urban form has played a role in pandemic response. Victor summarizes the highlights of his interviews in English for this summary. Technical Level: 1/5 Fear Factor: 1/5

Jun 30, 202023 minSeason 1Ep. 11

Ep. 10: Imagining Just Futures Amid Disasters (Walidah Imarisha)

Walidah Imarisha, organizer, public scholar, and writer, talks with Sabina about the many forces at play during the dual pandemics of coronavirus and white supremacy, conceptualization of crises and disasters, and the power of imagination. Technical Level: 2/5 Fear Factor: 1/5

Jun 16, 202037 minSeason 1Ep. 10

Ep. 10 BONUS: Wade in the Water (Walidah Imarisha)

Wade in the Water is a spoken word piece about Hurricane Katrina written and performed by Walidah Imarisha. It is part of her book of poetry Scars/Stars. This is released in advance of Episode 10 of Seismic Airwaves, which will be a conversation with Walidah about narratives of disaster and imagining the impossible as a tool to fight oppression.

Jun 09, 20205 minSeason 1Ep. 10

Ep. 09: Urban Heat and Environmental Justice (Vivek Shandas)

Vivek Shandas works on visioning urban futures, social/environmental justice, and climate resilience. He joins the podcast to talk about increased high heat days due to climate change and impacts on health and community dynamics. As the leading cause of death by natural disaster, heat is of especially high concern this Summer. With people isolated at home to limit exposure to coronavirus, normal measures to stay cool are less accessible. Technical Level: 3/5 Fear Factor: 1/5...

Jun 02, 202042 minSeason 1Ep. 9

Ep. 08: Buses and Trains in Pandemic Mode (Tom Mills)

In collaboration with the Young Professionals in Transportation, Tom Mills from TriMet, Portland’s transportation agency, provides a window into questions public transit providers are dealing with right now: How to balance providing service in the present with the need to fund future service? Which routes should be modified, and how? Tom discusses how TriMet has gone about reducing bus service while upholding the mission of the public transit agency. He explains how TriMet’s Equity Index has bee...

May 19, 202055 minSeason 1Ep. 8

Ep. 07: Local Economics of Disasters, Part II (Yu Xiao)

This is Part II of Sabina’s interview with Dr. Yu Xiao. Dr. Xiao gives an overview of how different professions such as urban planners and engineers are involved in disaster preparedness and recovery. She studies how businesses are affected by economic recovery and resilience efforts, both individually and regionally, after disasters such as Hurricanes Katrina, Ike and Sandy. The most important driving force in disaster preparedness and/or recovery efforts is not the plan; it’s the people. Techn...

May 12, 202025 minSeason 1Ep. 7

Ep. 06: Local Economics of Disasters, Part I (Yu Xiao)

Why should saving lives always be the top priority? Sabina interviews Dr. Yu Xiao, an Urban Studies and Planning professor, about how businesses are affected by disasters. There are parallels with what’s currently happening during the COVID-19 pandemic and the different challenges small and large businesses face. Technical Level: 3/5 Fear Factor: 1/5

Apr 28, 202040 minSeason 1Ep. 6

Ep. 5: Survivor Story from 2017 earthquake in Mexico City (Angie Martinez)

Take a listen to this summary of Sabina’s conversation with Angie about the 2017 earthquake. Angie lived through the 7.1 magnitude earthquake in 2017 and shares her experience and thoughts on the earthquake, the impact, and a culture of support. Technical Level: 1/5 Fear Factor: 3/5

Apr 14, 20207 minSeason 1Ep. 5

Bonus Episode: Coronavirus Emergency Management (Alice Busch)

Alice Busch, Operations Division Chief of Multnomah County Emergency Management, shares the latest on the novel coronavirus outbreak. The County activates for emergencies, from natural disasters to contagion outbreaks. Alice provides a view into emergency operations and shares from her decades of experiences on what is different about COVID-19. Recorded live at Portland State University on March 10, 2020 and organized by Dr. Jola Ajibade. See Multnomah County's latest updates at https://multco.u...

Mar 10, 202027 min

Ep. 2: Portland's Neighborhood Emergency Teams, NET (Da'Von Wilson-Angel)

Da’Von Wilson-Angel is the guest of this episode to answer the question of this episode: What are the Portland Neighborhood Emergency Teams? Da’Von describes why communities connections are helpful during a disaster, and what to expect in after Portland sees a major earthquake. Da’Von is the Neighborhood Emergency Team Program Specialist at the Portland Bureau of Emergency Management. Technical Level: 2/5 Fear Factor: 1/5

Mar 03, 202025 minSeason 1Ep. 2

Ep. 1: What is the Cascadia Subduction Zone? (Yumei Wang)

Sabina talks to Yumei Wang, a resilience engineer with the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Resources. Yumei provides a general overview of the Cascadia Subduction Zone and what to expect from a major earthquake, focused on Portland and the Oregon coast. Technical Level: 3/5 Fear Factor: 3/5

Feb 18, 202014 minSeason 1Ep. 1

Trailer

Ignorance may be blissful, but it won't help us prepare! Join Seismic Airwaves, based in Portland, Oregon, to learn from earthquake experts and survivors.

Feb 07, 20203 min

Short Trailer

Ignorance may be blissful, but it won't help us prepare! Join Seismic Airwaves, based in Portland, Oregon, to learn from earthquake experts and survivors.

Feb 07, 20201 min
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