NEWS: Lessons from the Tsunami Warning: ‘Every year we need to practice’
San Mateo County, California sent this bulletin at 12/20/2024 05:25 PM PST
Dec. 20, 2024
For Immediate Release
Lessons from the Tsunami Warning: ‘Every year we need to practice’
Half Moon Bay – Local emergency officials vowed Thursday to quickly address gaps in tsunami warning and response procedures and to hold drills routinely.
Clearly defining terms such as “high ground” and marking evacuation routes are among the assignments for the San Mateo County Department of Emergency Management in the aftermath of the Dec. 5 tsunami warningby the National Weather Service. Officials also pledged to launch a public education campaign about tsunami risks that include how to create a basic family safety plan.
“These are the things we will be working on in the coming months,” Dr. Shruti Dhapodkar, director of the County’s Department of Emergency Management, told about 75 residents at a forum in Half Moon Bay on the local tsunami response. “Every year we need to practice.”
San Mateo County Supervisor Ray Mueller, whose district includes the affected coastal areas, convened the forum to bring together residents and local emergency managers to share lessons learned on Dec. 5.
