A total of eight new tsunami sirens have been added during the past two years to the coastlines of the North Olympic Peninsula — seven in Clallam County and one in East Jefferson County.
A total of 50 new sirens were installed statewide during this time period by the Washington Emergency Management Division, completing the state’s tsunami siren network, according to a press release from the Washington Military Department, which called the effort “an unprecedented achievement.”
The new sirens on the Peninsula include two each with the Makah Tribe and the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe.
The new sirens in Clallam and Jefferson counties are:
• Makah Tribal Housing Area
• Makah Tribe, Hobuck Campground and RV Resort
• Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, Blyn
• Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, Dungeness
• San Juan Vista Community
• Sekiu, Mason’s Olson Resort
• City of Port Angeles
• Point Hudson Marina in Port Townsend
The tsunami sirens, also known as All-Hazard Alert Broadcast (AHAB) sirens, are intended to act as an outdoor tsunami alerting method for people and communities on or near the beach who may not otherwise have access to other official alerting methods via radio, television or smartphones, the release said.
“This is especially helpful for ‘distant’ tsunami events from places like Alaska, Japan or Southeast Asia,” the release said.
“The tsunami sirens are not meant to be heard inside, and residents are encouraged to buy a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather radio to hear tsunami alerts while inside their homes.”
The state Emergency Management Division coordinated with state, tribal and local partners to identify and fill the tsunami siren gaps for high-risk communities.
More sirens may be added later if local groups decide to pursue them, the release said.
“This life-saving project brought together state agencies, tribal, county and city emergency management as well as other important stakeholders to ensure Washington’s coastal communities can be alerted in the event of a tsunami warning,” said Maximilian Dixon, the geologic hazards supervisor for the state Emergency Management Division.
Dixon said attention now will be to improve tsunami evacuation route signage, as well as working with local officials on vertical tsunami evacuation structures.
There are a total of 122 sirens along the Washington coast that are run and maintained by the state. The first siren was installed in 2005, and 72 sirens were installed during the next 15 years.
All 3,000 miles of the state’s coastline is at risk for a tsunami, the press release said.
In the case of a tsunami caused by a nearby earthquake, shaking ground is a warning, but when tsunamis are caused by distant earthquakes in other parts of the world such as Japan or Alaska, there is no way to feel the earthquake. Sirens act as a warning.
The sirens are topped with a blue light for those who are hard of hearing or deaf.
The siren system is tested on the first Monday of every month at noon. The sirens play the Westminster Chimes followed by an audio message in English and Spanish.
The sirens are also tested once a year with the actual tsunami warning wail sound on the third Thursday in October in conjunction with the Great Washington ShakeOut earthquake and tsunami drill.
More information about the AHAB tsunami siren network or how to prepare for a tsunami, go to mil.wa.gov/tsunami.
A list of walking maps for tsunami evacuation routes can be found at tinyurl.com/PDNtsunami.
