Every day is tsunami season at the Oregon coast. So how do your local emergency management teams and first responders keep up to date on assessing tsunami hazards, and minimizing loss of lives and property? They participate in Oregon Office of Emergency Management’s Tsunami Conference which will held on Dec. 7-8 in Florence, OR. A wide variety of experts will address a range of topics including earthquake odds and probabilities to resources for tsunami and coastal hazards resilience. “We’re excited to work with Oregon’s coastal communities and to provide a forum to learn the most recent scientific understanding about tsunamis,” said Althea Rizzo, geologic hazards program coordinator for Oregon’s Office of Emergency Management. “The conference is also a good opportunity to share best practices, discuss challenges and come together to discuss this important topic.” The conference begins at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 7, and runs through 5 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 8, at the Florence Event Center. OEM Director Andrew Phelps will provide opening remarks. Other speakers include: * Director Paul Whitmore, National Tsunami Warning Center — Recent updates and new tsunami warning products; * Professor Chris Goldfinger, Oregon State University — Earthquake and tsunami probabilities in the Pacific Northwest; * Coastal Hazards Specialist Russell Jackson, NOAA Office for Coastal Management — Resources for tsunami and coastal hazards resilience; * Research Geographer Nathan Wood, U.S. Geological Survey — Population vulnerability to Cascadia tsunami; * Professor Doug Toomey, University of Oregon – Earthquake early warning systems; * Geomorphologist Jonathan Allan, Department of Geology and Mineral Industries — Evacuation modeling. The Oregon Tsunami Conference is funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration through the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program. The two-day schedule of speakers and activities were coordinated by several members of the OEM team, representatives from the Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI), the National Weather Service and Douglas County Emergency Preparedness Coach Terry Plotz.
