The knowledge that many of Portland’s aging schools could become lethal in a seismic event, and that much of Oregon could be devastated by a megathrust earthquake at any time, is not new. The Pacific Northwest is due for a Cascadia subduction zone earthquake and since the turn of the 21st century, in some cases even before, the state and school districts have been working to address the risks posed by unreinforced masonry buildings built before building codes took earthquakes into account. Portl