ODART holds annual real world exercise focusing on airlifting aid to coastal communities. | News [Video]

CRESWELL, Ore. — Members of the Oregon Disaster Airlift Response Team (ODART) took part in a real-world exercise at Hobby Field Airport in Creswell. The reasoning behind the exercise was to practice for a potential catastrophic scenario following the anticipated Cascadia earthquake.

In this scenario, some of the coastal cities including Florence, Newport, and Lakeside suffered major damage from the expected tsunamis following the quake. This makes them the ideal locations that would need an airlift.

Jim Origliosso is the President of ODART and one of the pilots volunteering their time and aircraft to be a part of the organization. Origliosso said this training is very much spread out across the state, with dozens of people involved.

“We’re putting up 17 flights today to go to the coast,” …