The Redwood Coast Tsunami Work Group: Twenty-five Years of Evolving Outreach on California’s North Coast
The Redwood Coast Tsunami Work Group (RCTWG) is an ad-hoc organization formed in response to California’s earthquake planning scenario for an earthquake and tsunami on the southern portion of the Cascadia subduction zone (CDMG Special Publication 115, 1995). It is a volunteer group of local, state, federal agencies, tribes and other organizations where everyone has an equal voice in developing a coordinated approach throughout the three-county region. RCTWG led the State in near-source tsunami messaging and printed materials. In contrast to other parts of Cascadia, RCTWG tailors messaging to the unique Gorda region where felt earthquakes are frequent. The first tsunami hazard maps were released in 2002, updated in 2008 and 2021. In 2008, the RCTWG with the National Weather Service and the California Office of Emergency Services began annual “live code” tsunami communications tests, the only region in the US to do so. For a volunteer group, RCTWG has shown remarkable staying power and participated in a variety of preparedness projects including hazard mapping and sign placement, “Earthquake – Tsunami Room” at County Fairs, public service announcements and print material, assisting in TsunamiReady community recognition, social media campaigns, facilitating numerous multi-agency, multidiscipline coordinated exercises and community evacuation drills. In the COVID era, the RCTWG has focused on electronic media including special web pages featuring personal remembrances of the 2011 Japan tsunami and the appearance of the tsunami boat Kamome at the 2021 Olympic games in Tokyo (rctwg.humboldt.edu). Two fundamental principles underlie RCTWG efforts: all of the information represents best currently available information and may change as we learn more, and we never use fear to promote interest. We emphasize the positive message that actions can reduce risk and provide peace of mind even in the most seismically active part of the lower 48.
Session: Characteristics, Hazards and Evolution of the Gorda Region of the Cascadia Subduction Zone [Poster]
Type: Poster
Room: Evergreen Ballroom
Date: 4/21/2022
Presentation Time: 08:00 AM Pacific
Presenting Author: Lori Dengler
Student Presenter: No
Additional Authors
Lori Dengler Presenting Author Corresponding Author lad1@humboldt.edu Humboldt State University |
Amanda Admire amanda.admire@humboldt.edu Humboldt State University |
Vicki Ozaki vicki.ozaki@gmail.com Redwood Coast Tsunami Work Group |
Troy Nicolini troy.nicolini@noaa.gov National Weather Service |
Ryan Aylward ryan.aylward@noaa.gov National Weather Service |
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The Redwood Coast Tsunami Work Group: Twenty-five Years of Evolving Outreach on California’s North Coast
Category
Characteristics, Hazards and Evolution of the Gorda Region of the Cascadia Subduction Zone
Description