Oregon’s Department of Emergency Management Helping Coastal Communities Prepare for Tsunami Evacuations
SALEM, OR – Oregon faces a potential one-two punch from a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake along the coast. The Oregon Department of Emergency Management is guiding communities to maximize their chances of survival.
Shaking could last 3- 5 minutes, followed by tsunami waves hitting some areas of the coast in as little as ten minutes.
“So there’s really not enough time to evacuate,” OEM’s Brigit Good said.
She says the best chance of survival is a high vertical evacuation structure such as a tower, hospital, school or apartment complex.
There are three in the U.S.: two in Washington another at Oregon’s Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport.
A 4th is being built in Astoria. But, Good says more are needed.
“Current rough estimates are that we need 15-20 (high vertical evacuation structures),” Good said.
The state’s new guidance is intended to help communities determine where the structures are needed.
The structures are also expensive, ranging from $3-12 million each.