The Shoalwater Bay tribe says its application to build a “vertical evacuation tower” in Tokeland as a refuge in the event of a tsunami has been selected for final review to receive more than $2.2 million from FEMA.
The review process will take a few months to complete, the tribe said.
The tribe plans to build the tower with money from the FEMA grant, coupled with at least $1 million that the tribe has set aside. The tower will be designed to provide safety for hundreds of people, a tribal news release said.
The structure would be built in Tokeland, and tribal officials noted that there are hills elsewhere on Shoalwater land where others would be encouraged to go to high ground. The proposed site will be at the end of the Blackberry Lane near the existing All Hazards Alert Broadcast siren. This is on the outskirts of Shoalwater land and would provide a safe evacuation place for not just Shoalwater Bay tribal members, but also residents in the surrounding community.
The Shoalwater Bay Tribe’s Emergency Management Department has been looking into a new, tsunami-safe structure since a study spearheaded by the state Emergency Management Division found a dire need for the structures up and down the coast.
The Project Safe Haven report was released following the devastating Japanese tsunami in 2011, where thousands of lives were saved because of tsunami vertical evacuation structures. The tribe and members of surrounding communities have participated together in the Project Safe Haven meetings.
Shoalwater Bay Emergency Manager, Lee Shipman, participates in the state’s tsunami workgroup meetings along with the other coastal emergency managers such as Scott McDougall from Pacific County and Charles Wallace from Grays Harbor County.
The tribe considers itself to be a good neighbor, and they know that resources are scarce in the area, so they make sure that the surrounding community members are always included and informed of impending emergency management issues, the news release said.
Along with the $1 million for construction, the tribe is committing money for the associated management costs and education efforts to ensure that the project is successful.
Staff from the Washington State Emergency Management Division has been supporting the Shoalwater Bay Tribe during the application process and will continue to provide assistance during the project.
“This is exciting not just for the Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe, but for the entire state,” said Maximilian Dixon, earthquake project manager for the Washington State Emergency Management Division. “Once built, this would be the second tsunami vertical evacuation structure in our state, following the successful opening of the new building at Ocosta Elementary in 2016, which will save hundreds of lives when a tsunami eventually hits our coast. This is just a start, though, and we need many more of these structures up and down the coast.”
