There is a 1 in 10 chance that the Cascadia Fault will fail in the next 50 years. This would trigger a tsunami that would be comparable to the tsunami observed in the Indian Ocean in 2004. By 2010, 60% of the United State's population will live within 50 miles of the coast. Since earthquakes are entirely unpredictable, the need for a more efficient evacuation plan is urgent.
A group at Oregon State University is researching the effects of an earthquake generated tsunami on coastal structures. If an earthquake triggered tsunami were to occur, residents would have 20-30 minutes to seek shelter in the predetermined evacuation shelters marked as blue boxes on the map below. For some, this is not a realistic option.Using a 1: 50 scale model of Seaside, Oregon, the researchers plan on exploring the idea of "vertical evacuation," seeking shelter from a tsunami wave by going up and not inland.
No comments:
Post a Comment