A recently released study on tsunami impacts to the Port of Port Angeles and Sequim Bay has provided recommendations for future actions the harbors can take.
The study, Tsunami Maritime Response and Mitigation Strategy, was conducted by the state Emergency Management Division (EMD) for the Port of Port Angeles marina and waterfront infrastructure in Clallam County to help the region understand the tsunami risk, build resilience and identify protective actions that will enhance life safety and protect property, according to a news release.
“The whole purpose of it is to give the port advice on steps they can take to move forward on improvements and then to also look and acknowledge the improvements they have already done,” EMD public information officer Steven Friederich said.
The study was done by EMD scientists who worked with the state Department of Natural Resources to do modeling specific for the Port of Port Angeles and Sequim Bay, Friederich said. Those models determined when or how earthquakes would impact the two areas.
“The study area focused on Port Angeles Harbor, including U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Port Angeles and the John Wayne Marina in Sequim Bay,” the news release stated. “It analyzed impacts from both a 9.0 Cascadia-type earthquake and tsunami as well as a distant tsunami that could come from a 9.2 earthquake in Alaska.”
The port is planning a public information event to go over the results of the study, Port Real Estate & Marketing Manager Cherie Gottschalk said.
The meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Jan. 20 at Field Arts & Events Hall in the main floor theater. Speakers will include the U.S. Coast Guard, Clallam County Emergency Team, Washington Tsunami Program team, Port of Port Angeles and the city of Port Angeles, according to an event flier Gottschalk provided.
“This Tsunami Maritime Strategy represents a significant advancement in protecting the people, infrastructure and maritime assets that define Clallam County,” Port of Port Angeles Airports and Emergency Manager James Alton said in the news release. “Through a clear understanding of our vulnerabilities and the implementation of proactive measures, we are strengthening our community’s resilience and safeguarding its future.”
The study found heavy impacts would occur from a Cascadia-type tsunami along the Port Angeles waterfront area with 16-foot or higher inundating waves arriving in just less than an hour after the earthquake, according to the news release.
“The study notes that given the estimated impacts and limited response time from this event, everyone on land within the inundation zone should follow their evacuation route immediately after the earthquake shaking stops,” the release states. “For the distant Alaska tsunami scenario, less than two feet of inundation would be expected along much of the Port Angeles and Sequim Bay areas within 4.5 to 5 hours of the initial earthquake. Impacts would largely be contained to the maritime infrastructure.”
To put the study together, the EMD met with the key stakeholders involved several times, Friederich said. Those stakeholders include the Washington Geological Survey, Clallam County Emergency Management, the Port of Port Angeles and the U.S. Coast Guard.
“The U.S. Coast Guard is proud to have partnered with the Washington Emergency Management Division and other key stakeholders in the development of this vital tsunami mitigation strategy for the Port of Port Angeles,” U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Mark McDonnell, Captain of the Port, said in the release. “This collaborative effort has significantly enhanced our collective understanding of the tsunami risks facing the port and the region, allowing us to proactively identify and implement strategies to reduce those risks.”
In the study, several tsunami mitigation actions are listed. Actions the Port of Port Angeles already has completed include strengthening cleats and single-point moorings, improving flotation portions of docks and increasing flexibility of interconnected docks and dock fingers.
Actions the study identifies as being feasible for the port include installing tsunami signs, increasing size and stability of dock piles/increase height of piles to prevent overtopping, reducing exposure of petroleum/chemical facilities and storage, improving movement of dock along piles and acquiring equipment/assets to assist response activities.
“We’re deeply grateful to the Washington Emergency Management Division for their diligent efforts in developing a comprehensive and well-structured plan for Port Angeles and Sequim,” port commission president Steven Burke said in the release. “Their exceptional knowledge and expertise in maritime response and mitigation strategies have resulted in an invaluable, forward-thinking document that will serve as a vital resource for our working waterfront and the greater community.”
The full study can be read at tinyurl.com/PDN-Tsunami-Study.
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Reporter Emily Hanson can be reached by email at emily.hanson@peninsuladailynews.com.
