Residents hear Newport Beach tsunami plans

NEWPORT BEACH — A packed room at City Hall watched footage of huge waves tearing apart whole towns on the island of Sumatra, as people tried in vain to scramble away from mountains of debris.

“This is what happens when you’re not informed,” said Matt Brisbois, community preparedness coordinator for Newport Beach, over footage of the 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean.

Using PowerPoint presentations and handouts, Newport Beach fire and disaster officials gave a 90-minute rundown on the risk of a tsunami in Newport and how to prepare for one.

While the risk is low — the city ranks a tsunami as the 11th most likely disaster, behind riot and war — the potential damage was too high to ignore, Brisbois said.

When Emergency Services Coordinator Katie Freeman asked the audience how many lived in low-lying areas, nearly everyone raised a hand. Few did when asked if they were prepared.

If the city heard about a tsunami with a few hours’ warning, Freeman said, nearly every city employee would be called on duty, escape routes would turn into one-way streets to higher ground, and police would conduct door-to-door evacuations.

Peoples’ reactions were attentive, if sometimes questioning. Balboa Peninsula resident Sandy Asper asked why there were no built-in sirens for the area, and many clapped loudly. Fire Chief Steve Lewis said they were costly and that it was the City Council’s decision.

The event was part of the effort that got Newport Beach certified as “tsunami-ready” by the National Weather Service last week, a designation requiring a disaster-response plan, a public education program, and multiple warning systems.

City beaches have signs warning that the area is a tsunami-hazard zone. Public safety leaders receive earthquake notifications from the Alaska Tsunami Warning Center and the National Weather Service.

The city’s concerns with tsunamis began in June 2005, when a tsunami warning led to a traffic jam on the Balboa Peninsula and numerous confused calls to police. Afterward, attendee Marianne Farrell said she appreciated the presentation, calling the workshop “absolutely worthwhile for people in those areas.”

“Knowledge is power,” she said.

Another workshop will be held at City Hall on Feb. 21.

QUESTION

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