As the ShakeAlert Earthquake Early Warning System is launched along the West Coast, how will this change the situational awareness and preparation actions of individuals who live and work in this region? This presentation describes the preliminary findings from a qualitative research study investigating the processes individuals who live and work near coastal Oregon experience as they develop earthquake and tsunami readiness and preparedness. This study provides a current snapshot before a local EWS is available. Getting ready and preparing to respond to natural hazards involves many layers of society from federal to individual efforts. When the natural hazard is a sudden-onset event with a high potential impact, such as an earthquake and tsunamis, many interoperating social, governmental, technical, and scientific systems are needed before the event occurs to prepare and create resilient communities and individuals who can thrive post-event. For individuals, very different types of actions are needed to become prepared before, to respond during, and to survive long-term from an earthquake and subsequent tsunamis. The Oregon Office of Emergency Management currently recommends that everyone should be prepared for two weeks if a major 8.5+ magnitude earthquake hits Oregon; for coastal communities, local agencies recommend closer to four weeks of supplies. This study has been investigating the processes jobholders and residents of coastal Oregon describe as they’ve actively prepared for earthquake and tsunami hazards. During these discussions, they are providing insight into what has encouraged and created obstacles to actively preparing for the eventual subduction earthquake and subsequent tsunamis. This presentation will share the progress of this project and suggestions for future research after ShakeAlert is implemented.