PORT NEWS AND NOTES: Scappoose Airport Boosts Disaster Readiness with Emergency Generators
April 29, 2025
Sean Clark, Executive Director, Port of Columbia County
The Port of Columbia County has taken another step toward improving regional disaster preparedness by installing an emergency generator system at Scappoose Airport. The new generators will ensure that critical airport operations such as runway lighting and emergency fuel access remain operational during power outages.
When the system detects a power grid failure, the standby emergency generators will automatically activate to supply electricity to runway, ramp, and taxiway lights, as well as lighting and fuel dispensing equipment operated by Transwestern Aviation. The project was partially funded by a $135,000 Critical Oregon Aviation Relief (COAR) grant from the Oregon Department of Aviation.
The installation of the two emergency generators is a direct outcome of a 2020 resiliency study conducted by the Port, which evaluated how Scappoose Airport might survive a major earthquake or other disaster, and its ability to support regional response and recovery efforts. The study found that a major Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake would cause severe damage to roads and bridges, likely isolating parts of Columbia County, making Scappoose Airport essential to supply distribution, and rescue, evacuation, and recovery efforts. The installation of emergency generators was one of the key recommendations from that study.
As a Tier 2 airport under the Oregon Aviation Plan, Scappoose is expected to serve as a logistical staging hub for personnel and supplies during major emergencies. The Oregon Resilience Plan further calls for the airport to be operational within one to three days of a major earthquake or natural disaster. With the new generators in place, Scappoose Airport is now better equipped to meet that goal.
This initiative is part of a broader regional effort by the Port to strengthen seismic resilience across the Port district. In a similar project, the Port is upgrading the Port Westward Beaver Dock in Clatskanie to meet modern seismic standards, ensuring the dock stays safe and operational during a major earthquake. That project recently received a $2.7 million grant award from the Oregon Department of Transportation’s Connect Oregon program.
The Port is also working with the Oregon Department of Emergency Management to designate Port Westward as a state emergency staging area, further strengthening Columbia County’s ability to respond quickly and effectively to natural disasters.
Together, these investments underscore the Port’s ongoing commitment to infrastructure resilience and community safety.
