The Buccaneer

Issue date: 2/2/05 Section: News

Media Credit: Jeff Fitzwater At the Emergency Operations Center in Port Angeles, Joe Ciarlo displays signs used to mark tsunami evacuation routes in Clallam County.

A tsunami hitting Port Angeles may not be as catastrophic as the one that devastated the coast of Asia on Dec. 26, 2004, however, the risk is just as real.

"We are in a tsunami hazard zone, and we can lessen the impacts by having a plan," said Joe Ciarlo, division manager of Clallam County Emergency Management.

According to Ciarlo, Washington coastal waters have two sources of threat for a tsunami: a distant source and a local source.

While an earthquake would cause either tsunami, both would come from very different places, and leave considerably different response times.

The most likely threat for a local tsunami would come from the Cascadia Subduction Zone just off the coast. This local source would reach the coast in approximately 20 to 30 minutes.

An earthquake in the Pacific Ocean Basin, also known as the Ring of Fire, would cause what is known as a distant source tsunami. These distant tsunamis are most likely to come from Japan, Chile or Alaska. A tsunami generated from Japan or Chile would take more than ten hours to reach the coast, while one from Alaska would take only three to six hours.

Both a local and a distant source tsunami would reach the Puget Sound by traveling down the Strait of Juan de Fuca and up coastal rivers, harbors and bays. According to Ciarlo the tsunami would lose momentum while traveling down the strait, which is why a tsunami in Port Angeles may not be as detrimental as that of the Sri Lanka tsunami.

Everyday, Emergency Management prepares for what is known as The First Hour, a term used by the Emergency Operations Center to respond to disasters. The number one priority for EOC is saving lives, followed by protection of property, restoring economy and preserving the environment.

EOC joins together with fire halls and police departments in the first hour to assess the damages and save lives. "We don't tell others how to do their jobs," said Ciarlo. "What we do is bring them together. It's a Unified Command."

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center in Palmer, Alaska and The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Ewa Beach, Hawaii both monitor for earthquakes and subsequent tsunami events. This is done through earthquake information, tide quages and tsunami detection buoys.

In the event of a tsunami, coastal National Weather Services in Seattle and Portland will activate the Emergency Alert System using the NOAA weather radio. These radios are located with local broadcasters, in schools, businesses and healthcare facilities.

"It's a big elephant, and we can only take one bite at a time," said Ciarlo, who hopes that people will use the information that is available through NOAA, Tsunami warning centers and Emergency Management to educate themselves on natural disasters. "We just want folks to be self sufficient."

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