Home / Disasters and Accidents / Ouzinkie's Lifeline: A Rare Tsunami Tower Emerges
Ouzinkie's Lifeline: A Rare Tsunami Tower Emerges
11 Apr
Summary
- A rare tsunami evacuation tower is nearing completion in Ouzinkie, Alaska.
- Tsunami shelters are costly, with some costing up to $12 million.
- FEMA's funding for disaster readiness projects has faced uncertainty.
A nearly completed tsunami evacuation tower in Ouzinkie, Alaska, offers a beacon of hope for its 167 residents, who have long feared the sea's destructive power. Tribal administrator Kerry Ivory described the tower's existence as "miraculous," especially after a recent tsunami warning amplified anxieties. This rare structure underscores the vulnerability of low-lying coastal communities, particularly along the Pacific Northwest and Hawaii, to seismic and tsunami events.
Despite the acknowledged risks, tsunami shelters, known as vertical evacuation structures, are scarce in the United States due to their high multimillion-dollar costs. These robust concrete and steel buildings are designed to withstand prolonged submersion and debris. Funding for such essential infrastructure has been precarious, with FEMA's Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program facing recent setbacks and reinstatement, causing significant delays and frustration for communities like Ocean Shores, Washington.
Ocean Shores, a town of 8,000 on a vulnerable sandbar, estimates needing 23 towers but struggles to fund even one, with costs escalating from $5 million to $12 million. Seaside, Oregon, faces similar geographic challenges with bridges hindering escape routes, making vertical evacuation structures a necessity. Despite funding hurdles and some public skepticism, communities like Ouzinkie are determined to prioritize self-preservation, recognizing that in the face of disaster, they must rely on themselves.
