NOAA Cites Tillamook County, Ore., As Becoming TsunamiReady

Although I don't remember ever going to the Oregon coast and not seeing Tsunami Evacuation Route signs, there has, of course, been an emphasis since last December on vastly improving tsunami awareness and taking steps to reduce deaths when the next one happens. From a National Weather Service press release (title link):

May 4, 2005 – Officials from NOAA's National Weather Service today recognized Tillamook County, Ore., for becoming the first TsunamiReady county in the continental United States. NOAA is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

“While an expanding tsunami observation and communication network allows NOAA forecasters to monitor conditions and issue warnings, the public must know how to react to such warnings in order to complete an effective tsunami warning process,” said Brig. Gen. David L. Johnson, U.S. Air Force (Ret.), director of NOAA's National Weather Service. “The TsunamiReady program helps educate the public on the immediate actions necessary to stay safe.”

“TsunamiReady arms communities with improved communication, education and safety skills needed to save lives and property,” said Tyree Wilde, warning coordination meteorologist at NOAA’s National Weather Service in Portland, Ore. “With TsunamiReady, communities are encouraged to improve public awareness and local response to hazardous situations, associated with tsunamis before and during such an event.”

[snip]

In addition to becoming TsunamiReady, Tillamook County has also been recognized as StormReady. At a ceremony in Tillamook today, Vickie Nadolski, western region director of NOAA's National Weather Service, presented special TsunamiReady and StormReady signs to city officials. The StormReady and TsunamiReady recognition will be in effect for three years when the county will go through a re-recognition process.

To be recognized as TsunamiReady and StormReady, a community must:

-Establish a 24-hour warning point and emergency operations center;
-Have more than one way to receive tsunami and severe weather warnings and forecasts to alert the public;
-Create a system that monitors local weather conditions;
-Promote the importance of public readiness through community seminars;
-Develop a formal hazardous weather plan, which includes training severe weather spotters and holding emergency exercises.

Both community preparedness programs use a grassroots approach to help communities develop plans to handle local severe weather, wave impacts, flooding threats, and help communities inform citizens of threats associated with each. These programs are voluntary and provide communities with clear-cut advice from a partnership between local National Weather Service offices and state and local emergency managers.

StormReady started in 1999 with seven communities in the Tulsa, Okla., area. Ocean Shore, Wash., became the first TsunamiReady community in 2001. There are now more than 880 StormReady communities in 47 states and 17 TsunamiReady communities along the West Coast of the U.S., Hawaii, and Alaska.

What the NOAA doesn't note is that Tillamook County dug into its own pockets to get the job done. (I'm not complaining, I'm applauding, by the way. I admire can-do communities.)

From an Associated Press story May 3, 2005:

TILLAMOOK, Ore. - Tillamook County will be the first in the continental United States to be declared ready for a tsunami.

This, after the county paid $15,000 for 27 warning sirens and an emergency radio system.

County officials raised the funds themselves.