K-DOCK 92.9

Portland, Oregon: As part of the ongoing Tsunami Outreach Oregon education and awareness program managed by the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI), Coos Bay, North Bend, and the surrounding communities of Barview, Charleston, and Empire will hold a voluntary Tsunami Evacuation Drill on Thursday, May 31 at 2 pm. Join your neighbors, businesses, and schools to find out where and when to go to survive a tsunami.

* Ask your friends and neighbors to join you
* Take along your emergency “grab and go” kit
* Follow tsunami evacuation routes on new maps
* Time how long it takes to walk to Assembly Areas

For more information on this drill contact Coos Bay region Tsunami Outreach Coordinators Mikel Chavez at (503) 936-7767 or Lindsey Bishop at (971) 221-2508.

The drill follows the recent release by DOGAMI of several new tsunami inundation maps and tsunami evacuation brochures for these communities at risk from earthquake and tsunami hazards along the Oregon coast.

Please note that the Coos Bay evacuation map issued 2/11/12 has been revised to account for a change in road data in the vicinity of Barview. The 5/11/12 Coos Bay tsunami evacuation map is available online.

The tsunami evacuation drill is an opportunity for residents, visitors, and businesses to participate in a mock tsunami evacuation. This event will provide an organized way to practice walking local tsunami evacuation routes that lead to high ground.

Tsunami evacuation drills on the Oregon coast are a collaborative effort with many partners, led by local fire and police departments, county and city emergency management, tribes, Community Emergency Response Teams, Red Cross, Search and Rescue, HAM radio operators, Salvation Army, Coast Guard, Oregon Emergency Management, and the many volunteers that have helped make the Tsunami Outreach Oregon program successful in many communities.

Voluntary tsunami evacuation drills are part of the Tsunami Outreach Oregon program that began in 2010 with a goal of enhancing earthquake and tsunami readiness efforts in as many Oregon coastal communities as possible over a four year period, while building sustainable, grass roots volunteer efforts revolving around disaster preparedness. The program has reached dozens of communities and school districts and will continue through 2014.

You can find more information on the Tsunami Outreach Oregon education program at http://www.OregonTsunami.org

Contact Information:
Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries
Ian Madin, DOGAMI Chief Scientist
(971) 673-1542
email: ian.madin@dogami.state.or.us

The Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries is an independent agency of the State and has a broad responsibility in developing an understanding of the state’s geologic resources and natural hazards. The Department then makes this information available to communities and individuals to help inform and reduce the risks from natural hazards, such as earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides, floods and volcanic eruptions. The Department assists in the formulation of state policy where an understanding of geologic materials, geologic resources, processes, and hazards is key to decision-making. The Department is also the lead state regulatory agency for mining, oil, gas and geothermal exploration, production and reclamation.

Learn more about Oregon’s geology online: http://www.OregonGeology.orgLearn more about Oregon’s geology online: http://www.OregonGeology.org

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 31st, 2012 and is filed under Local News.