WSSPC Awards in Excellence 2005

Award Recipients

Awarded Category: Educational Outreach to General Public (1 of 2 Winners)

Program Name: Seaside Tsunami Outreach Project

Administering Agency:  City of Seaside, Oregon

Contact:   Darci Conner,  Seaside Tsunami Outreach Coordinator

Address:  989 Broadway St., Seaside OR  97138

Telephone:  503-738-7100 ext. 219

Fax:  503-738-8765

E-mail:   dconner@cityofseaside.us

Program Summary
The objective of the project is to decrease lives lost to tsunamis at Seaside, Oregon.

Since virtually the entire town is below 30 feet in elevation, thousands of lives could be lost at Seaside should it be struck by a Cascadia Subduction Zone tsunami.  Since the tsunami will likely arrive in approximately 30 minutes after the earthquake, residents must already know that they should immediately evacuate when earthquake shaking stops.  This project will greatly increase awareness in local residents and businesses of proper response.  If businesses and residents act appropriately in this emergency, it is likely that visitors will follow their example. 

Shore-parallel creeks and wetlands behind Seaside make evacuation particularly complex, so residents need to have a prior understanding of exactly which evacuation routes are safest from each part of town.  The project will greatly increase the likelihood that people will make wise choices.  A separately funded analysis of evacuation options is proceeding and will support this project. 

The project is the first of its kind to intensively inform virtually all residents of tsunami hazard response and quantitatively measure success.  If proven successful, it could serve as a template for other coastal communities threatened by tsunamis.                 

• Arrange for a “Tsunami Champion” in a City Office to operate at high level of decision-making and interact with all aspects of community
   
• Form Advisory Committee (State agencies and local officials) to oversee work plan and progress
   
• Conduct Pre-outreach public opinion poll
   
• Conduct Neighborhood Educator Project to train volunteers to go door to door with evacuation maps and information
   
• Hold Tsunami Prepared Business Workshop to provide forum for merchants, lodging, etc, to collectively address their concerns and needs for their customers.
   
• Train student volunteers in Schools Outreach Project to give presentations on tsunami safety
   
• Engage residents in Tsunami Preparedness Public Workshop in map interpretation and evacuation planning activities
   
• Hold Tsunami Evacuation Drills to ground-truth travel times from different areas of the City and illuminate problem areas
   
• Conduct Post-outreach public opinion poll

Examples of materials/products that are a result of the program:

• http://www.cityofseaside.us/html/tsunami_info.html
   
• Are you tsunami prepared? Resource Guide
   
• Tsunami Preparedness Public Workshop Participant Assessment survey
   
• Family Tsunami Emergency Plan
   
• Evacuation map posters placed in many businesses

Program Operational
Since August 2004

Major Purposes

• Determine the public's preliminary knowledge of tsunamis
   
• Implement a range of outreach strategies to educated the public
   
• Evaluate the effectiveness of these strategies
   
• Engage various constituents in discussions about emergency preparedness
   
• Devise a model outreach program from the program findings
   
• Produce deliverables that can be utilizied by other municipalities

Specific Activities and Operations

• Conduct initial public opinion poll on tsunami awareness and preparedness
   
• Outreach to schools through student volunteer educators
   
• Outreach to businesses through public business workshop
   
• Outreach to public through workshop
   
• Support through multiple media outlets (newspaper, local radio, signage)
   
• Conduct city-wide tsunami drill to ground-truth evacuation route travel times
   
• Conduct follow up public opinion poll
   
• Submit final report with lessons learned and recommendations for success in other coastal communities
   
• City Website  -http://www.cityofseaside.us/html/tsunami_info.html

New Approaches and Methods

The most notable approach here is the concept of placing a “Tsunami Champion” in the community to become the hub for all activity.  

Program Funding
Start-up Cost: $50,000 total budget
Source: NOAA/NTHMP Grant administered by DOGAMI 

Annual Budget: One-time position for pilot program only. Future cost to Seaside to be determined. 

Program Staffing
One employee (.75 FTE for August 2004 till June 1^st, 2005) with $35,000 portion of $50,000 grant funding to City.

Program Origin
The program originated within Oregon.

Achievement of Stated Purposes
Probably the best evidence of effectiveness has been the level of participation:

·            20 neighborhood volunteers who conducted door to door outreach in 88 community blocks

·            Business workshop – 65 attendees from hotels, grocery stores, gas stations, etc.

·            Public workshop: –  135 attendees with Mayor presenting awards to students for tsunami poster contest

·            Evacuation drill – 2,000 participants (residents, businesses and visitors) 

Obstacles Other States Might Encounter

The largest single change has been the public reaction to the Indian Ocean tsunami in the middle of our study. We had to restate the survey, since our sample population had been exposed to so much tsunami attention in the media. Although our methods could not be accurately evaluated for their effectiveness, we understood that the most important element of the project, by and far, was placing this “Tsunami Champion” in the community with responsibility and access to resources and decision-makers. Limitations will certainly come from funding, since this was a pilot program for the sake of the study.