Living on the Edge: Building and Buying Property on the Oregon Coast

Video: Aerial camera swoops down toward a picturesque Oregon headland and lighthouse.

Audio (narrator): The Oregon coast! Its spectacular beauty and variety are appealing to both residents and visitors. Some of those visitors dream of making the coast their home.

Video: Images of the coast: damp woods, beach, boats and waves.

Audio (narrator): The dream is about a picturesque and ever-changing environment, offering dramatic landscapes and bountiful resources.

But the same elements of geology and climate that make this coast so attractive are also responsible for a variety of natural hazards that can affect both people and property.

Video: Title: Living on the Edge: Building and Buying Property on the Oregon Coast
[Music; surf]

Video: Logs crashing in the waves

Audio (narrator): Beaches give way before the onslaught of waves and currents, retreating back toward the land.

Video: Pounding surf, crumbling bluffs

Audio (narrator):
After the pounding of water from below and above, bluffs can slump . . . and slide.

Video: Abandoned building atop a bluff that's eroding into the sea

Audio (narrator):
The plans of coastal developers can be upset by the relentless forces of nature.

Video: Tsunami warning sign on the Oregon coast.

Audio (narrator):
Destructive earthquakes and tsunamis have also occurred in the past, and will again in the future, though it's hard to predict when.

Video: News footage of the 2005 Asian tsunami

Audio (narrator):
Tsunamis - huge waves caused by seafloor earthquakes - represent the most catastrophic coastal threat.

Video: Real estate signs and property on the coast

Audio (narrator):
For those who need to make decisions about buying property and building on the Oregon coast, knowledge of the natural processes that affect a particular parcel of land can make all the difference between a sound and successful decision and a real headache.

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