New evacuation models show tsunami risks, routes for more Oregon coastal communities

Good read. Topography plays a huge determining factor. As well as how fast the warnings get on as tsunamis have a tendency to be fast movers.

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."In general, the reports recommend escaping tsunamis on foot, rather than by car, because of the potential for vehicles to be stuck in traffic as water levels rise. They also note the importance of starting to evacuate as quickly as possible once a tremor is felt — though the reports’ modeling assumes it will take people at least a few minutes to start seeking higher ground.

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The good news in the two new reports — one on Astoria and the surrounding area, the other on Cannon Beach, Arch Cape and Falcon Cove — is that safe evacuation is possible at a “walk” or “slow walk” pace from many of the more populated areas. However, that’s not the case for one of the most densely populated parts of Cannon Beach: its popular downtown.

“Evacuation distances in downtown Cannon Beach are generally much longer and present a greater challenge,” the report said. “Evacuees must travel at a fast walk (4.1 miles per hour) to reach safety prior to the arrival of the tsunami.”

The report says the need for a brisker pace among evacuees is due to the relative speed of the arriving tsunami and the long distance people would have to higher ground to the south, from the north side of Cannon Beach’s downtown.

Inundation zones for Cannon Beach — shown in the reports as bright yellow and orange areas — cover tourist areas of the city and follow Ecola Creek inland. The orange and yellow inundation areas cling more closely to the rivers and bays in Astoria, leading to shorter evacuation routes for much of that city.

For instance, the Astoria analysis of the downtown area says, “Anyone in this entire area can travel at a minimum speed of slow walk (1.4 miles per hour) and reach high ground ahead of the tsunami. This is due to short evacuation distances and long wave arrivals.”

Other parts of Astoria can be similarly evacuated at a slow walking pace — though the model shows some specific exceptions. Across Youngs Bay in the Jeffers Garden area, residents will have to move more quickly to stay ahead of a tsunami.

“Most of the community can travel at a minimum speed of walk (2.7 mph) and reach high ground ahead of the tsunami,” the report said. “The lone exception to this is Clover Rd where people must travel at a minimum speed of fast walk (4.1 mph).”

That’s because residents of Clover Road have nearly two miles they’d have to travel to reach a safe evacuation spot. For some areas, the report authors recommended building evacuation infrastructure — such as a trail to leave Clover Road’s inundation zone, though modelers acknowledge, “trail construction over Jeffers Slough will be challenging.”...

When the water begins sucking away from land, you need to move quickly but calmly away from the water. Look at nearby hills and head toward the tallest one that has rocks.

Cars, trees, houses, even tall buildings can trap you. Do not tie yourself to anything because once the tether extends fully, you will go underwater, and nobody is strong enough to fight their way to the top.

Once the water returns, grab something that floats and hang on tightly. Try to orient yourself so that your feet lead the way. Cross your ankles because of the risk of implements in certain nether regions.

Do not try to fight the current: you will lose. You can paddle toward the side of the flow but keep the angle shallow, between 30° and 45°.

Do not let go of one flotation device until you are already holding another.

Once the forward flow (away from the coast) stops, do not let go of your flotation. The water is about to flow back toward the shore. It should move a lot slower than when it flowed inland.

Stay calm and keep your eyes moving. Sing a song if necessary to stay calm. If you panic, you will likely have a less than optimal outcome.

Once you finally stop, cleanse and bandage any wounds. Freshwater is not likely available, so use any bottled drink to wash your wounds. Once you find some antibiotic cream, apply it. The water you were in contained whatever was in the sewage lines.

Do not stand around looking dazed. Find people to help. Use any first aid and CPR skills. Clean and dress wounds, hand out drinks, be a source for separated children by gathering them in a safe place, and make a list of names. Leave plenty of space between names so that you can attempt keeping the list in alpha order. Get phone numbers if the kids know them. For kids with cellphones and no service, tell them to send text messages to the adults with them and someone at home. Text messages take up very little bandwidth, unlike phone calls. The device will continue attempting to send the message anytime it picks up any signal.

Put older kids in charge of small groups. Find colored cloth to distinguish the groups. Find the daredevil to climb something to stream brightly colored banners so that people can spread the word.

The person in the gathered adults who is screaming and inconsolable will likely accept an "order" to go help the kids. Putting screamers to work breaks their focus and stops being a drain on your nerves.

The goal is to save the lives of as many people as possible. If someone has injuries so bad that no matter what you do, they will die, move to the next person. You can assign an older kid or wandering adult to stay with the person until they die.

As you create makeshift bandages, use the cloth worn by the people you assist. If you start with your clothes, you will soon scare the next person because you are naked.

Keep busy so that your mind does not get bogged down in the trauma you experienced. Delegate as much as you can. Everyone, including you, needs rest and sleep. Create a schedule for everyone helping. When it is someone's turn to sleep, they must attempt it or just lay still for the allotted time.