PORT ANGELES — Emergency management officials are ramping up for a major earthquake and tsunami exercise planned for June 2016.
Clallam County emergency managers told commissioners Monday that the exercise — Cascadia Rising — will simulate a magnitude-9.0 earthquake and tsunami originating from the Cascadia subduction fault off the Pacific Coast.
A series of workshops and planning sessions will be held in the coming months with local, state, federal, military and tribal officials focusing on earthquake and tsunami readiness.
Major Cascadia subduction zone earthquakes are thought to occur about once every 500 years. The last big one rattled the Pacific Northwest and triggered a tsunami that was recorded in Japan on Jan. 29, 1700.
Not if but when
“This is pretty much agreed by everyone: that it’s not a matter of if it’s going to happen; it’s just going to happen,” Clallam County Emergency Management Program Coordinator Penelope Linterman told commissioners in a Monday work session.
Commissioners took no action on the tsunami exercise.
The discussion was for information only.
“We know we’re going to get a very significant event, and they’re taking things much more seriously at the state than they have previously,” Linterman said.
“About two years ago, we put together a task force to develop a plan in advance of the Cascadia earthquake. The thought was we know — we have the research — we know approximately how bad this is going to be.
“Because of that, we’re not going to wait and respond after the event happens,” she added.
Workshops
Upcoming workshops and planning sessions will be held at the Quillayute Valley School District on April 17, the Port Angeles School District on May 8 and the county courthouse April 23, May 8, May 14, Aug. 27 and Oct. 22.
No times or locations are set yet.
More sessions will be held in southwest Washington and the Puget Sound region.
A midterm regional planning meeting will be at Camp Murray near Tacoma in August.
Jamye Wisecup, emergency management program coordinator, told commissioners it is “very serious” that Clallam County fully participate in the exercise.
“If we don’t step up and plan this exercise, we’re missing a huge chance,” she said.
The Cascadia Rising exercise will commence June 7, 2016.
“They’re estimating that the impact from this event will be worse than Hurricane Sandy and worse than Katrina,” Linterman said.
“The good news is they’ve put together this plan.”
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5072, or at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.