March 28, 2018
Event Contact:
Seal Beach Police Department
Summary:
The Seal Beach Police Department will participate in a Tsunami WalkOut exercise on Wednesday March 28 th . This exercise will be accomplished by having a group of volunteers from the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and the Volunteers in Police Services (VIPS) walk from a tsunami danger zone to a tsunami safe zone
Full Description:
March 26 through March 30 is National Tsunami Preparedness Week. The City of Seal Beach in cooperation with the State of California, Office of Emergency Services (Cal-OES) and the Orange County Emergency Management Division will be taking an active role in promoting public education and awareness about tsunami preparedness.<br />
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Tsunami WalkOut<br />
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To bring awareness to the danger posed by tsunamis, the State of California is encouraging all affected municipalities to participate in a Tsunami WalkOut. This is a state-wide initiative and is part of a tsunami preparedness drill.<br />
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The Seal Beach Police Department will participate in a Tsunami WalkOut exercise on Wednesday March 28 th . This exercise will be accomplished by having a group of volunteers from the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and the Volunteers in Police Services (VIPS) walk from a tsunami danger zone to a tsunami safe zone. Experts recommend that people evacuate by foot when a tsunami Warning is issued. This reduces the chance for evacuees getting stuck in traffic if they try to leave by car. Tsunami WalkOut is a phrase meant to represent a tsunami evacuation drill; similar to the term “ShakeOut” for the earthquake preparedness campaign.<br />
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The objective of the exercise is to raise public awareness regarding tsunami preparedness by participating in the state-wide initiative and identify the tsunami evacuation route through a “real-world” exercise that will highlight the desired action in the event of a real tsunami Warning.<br />
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Tsunami/Rip Current Kiosk<br />
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Cal-OES, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Weather Service (NWS) assisted the City of Seal Beach in creating a Tsunami/Rip Current kiosk that covers Seal Beach inundation areas and evacuation routes, and rip current and beach safety information. The kiosk has been installed at the southwest corner of Ocean Ave and Main St. near the base of the pier.<br />
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TsunamiReady Community<br />
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The City of Seal Beach is a Tsunami Ready Community. This is a national certification issued by NOAA and NWS. To be recognized as a Tsunami Ready Community there are a variety of criteria that must be met. They are:<br />
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Establish a 24-hour warning point and Emergency Operations Center.<br />
Have more than one way to receive tsunami warnings and alert the public.<br />
Promote public readiness through community education and distribution of information.<br />
Develop a formal tsunami plan, which includes holding emergency exercises.<br />
Comply with TsunamiReady guidelines<br />
On-line resources for tsunami awareness<br />
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The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Tsunami Website<br />
Tsunami Education for Kids<br />
California Geological Survey – Tsunami Web Site<br />
FEMA Are You Ready: Tsunamis<br />
http://myhazards.calema.ca.gov/<br />
http://www.tsunami.ca.gov<br />
http://www.conservation.ca.gov/cgs/geologic_hazards/Tsunami/Pages/education.aspx<br />
http://ntwc.arh.noaa.gov/<br />
http://ntwc.arh.noaa.gov/?page=tsunamiFAQ<br />
http://nthmp.tsunami.gov/tpw/tsunami-preparedness-week.html