Learn About Lincoln City Hospital’s Water Resiliency Project September 10, 2026 Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital will host a public event on Wednesday, Sept. 23, from 2:30 to 4 p.m. to build community awareness of its Water Resiliency Project. This project is an effort to secure an independent, reliable source of clean water so the hospital can keep operating after a disaster, such as a Cascadia earthquake. “When – not if – this happens, our hospital must be prepared to operate independently for weeks,” said Lesley Ogden, MD, Samaritan Coast Hospitals CEO. “Without a reliable four-week supply of water, our ability to provide life-saving care will be crippled.” A state analysis by the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries estimates a magnitude 9 earthquake could damage 90% of the county’s buildings and cause about 1,430 injuries in Lincoln County, with roughly 290 requiring hospitalization. Water Is Essential to Hospital Services A large earthquake could also sever the hospital’s water supply. The hospital relies on the city’s water system, much of it built before modern seismic standards and with no adequate backup source. The Water Resiliency Project will give the hospital its own four-week supply of potable water. The project is a collaboration between Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital, North Lincoln Health District, North Lincoln Hospital Foundation and Dig Deep Research. Together, these partners have committed more than $600,000 to date, with approximately $570,000 in further commitments from the city of Lincoln City, the North Lincoln Hospital Foundation and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Speakers to Help Raise Public Awareness The Sept. 23 event is a public awareness gathering, not a fundraiser, and all are welcome to attend. Speakers include State Sen. Dick Anderson, State Rep. David Gomberg, Lincoln City Mayor Susan Wahlke, North Lincoln Health District Board Chair Peter Mann and North Lincoln Hospital Foundation Executive Director Leslie James. The event will be held in the Building 8 conference room, 2930 NE West Devils Lake Road. Parking is available north and south of Samaritan Health Center – West Devils Lake (formerly named Samaritan Lincoln City Medical Center) and in the hospital’s main parking lot close to the clinic building. Learn more about the project at samhealth.org/SNLHWater.
