The first day we arrived for our work/camp hosting at Bullards Beach State Park, we attended a meeting with our Park Ranger, who along with telling us all about our work duties, also told us about Tsunami’s, and showed us where the Tsunami evacuation route is located.
I tried not to let the idea of a Tsunami worry me too much because I like to think positive and want to believe it won’t happen… However, it is real hard not to think about Tsunami’s around here because everywhere you go there is a big sign reminding you of what to do and where to go in the event a Tsunami strikes.
I finally decided Bill and I better get educated as best we can on exactly what to do if a Tsunami does strike while we are here. So, last Thursday evening, Bill and I attended a Tsunami readiness class offered right here in the park. The park brought in an expert guest speaker from Coos Bay to enlighten us on the facts about Tsunami’s. It was very informative, and we learned a lot about how Tsunami’s happen, and how often they occur, on average, here on the Oregon Coast.
I was surprised to learn that, on average, a Tsunami has hit the Oregon coast, every 250 years. Right here, in this very spot where we are located. Now imagine my “deer in the headlights” look when the instructor went on to inform us that it has been 315 years since the last Tsunami hit. He went on to tell us that when (not if) the next one hits, it’s going to be huge. He said the first and only warning we will have is the huge earthquake that will proceed the Tsunami. He told us the earthquake will be violent, and last for at least five full minutes. He actually set a timer and continued talking just to show us how long that five minutes will be… He said we will think the world is going to come to an end, but it’s not, and that we will think we are all going to die, but we won’t. He said the earth will be shaking so hard we won’t be able to stand up or walk at all. He told us to drop, take cover, and hold onto whatever we can find as protection against things falling on us. He said when the shaking stops we will have about 10 minutes to get to our ‘safe zone” before the Tsunami hits. Then he said “now I don’t tell you this to scare anyone, but rather to help you understand how important it is for you to be ready”. OMG! Well it’s already too late to try not to scare me about this! And, now, knowing all that will happen, that put a whole new level of importance on making sure Bill and I know what to do, and where to go, not if, but when the next Tsunami hits!!
Important things we learned were to have a “to go bag” packed, and at the ready, to grab and run with. In the grab and go bag you need water, medications, food, flash light, extra set of cloths etc. for at least three days. The instructor told us we will be on our own because bridges will be gone, there will be no power because all the power lines will be gone… and no one is going to be able to come and get us for days, or even weeks… You better know I’m a planner, and our backpacks are packed and ready right this very minute..
We were also told to practice the Tsunami evacuation route so we know exactly where to go and how long it will take us to get there. So this morning, instead of taking my usual walk around the park, Bill and I practiced the Tsunami evacuation route and timed how long it will take us to reach “the safe zone”.
This is the route we have to take. The pictures are not as sharp as I would like, but when your trying to run and shoot pictures at the same time, you take what you get… Also keep in mind, after the earthquake stops, you have about 10 minutes to get to the “safe zone”.
So, here we go… We have to leave our campsite
run past all the other 100 plus campsites
run down this long road
turn a corner and run down another long road,
turn another corner and go to the Tsunami route trail head
run up the evacuation route that will take us up 80 feet high. It’s a long, winding trail.
Oh, look, sand… now where did that come from. Keep in mind our park is 3 miles from the ocean/beach…
keep running up, up, up…
dodge trees
Oh, more sand…
and try not to trip on tree roots that stick up out of the ground and might be hidden by all the sand… I asked Bill where he thought all the sand came from? He said he didn’t know, but it was probably from the last Tsunami. Are you kidding me!!! This is supposed to be a “safe zone” that will keep us above the Tsunami waters…. Now, I’m not always the brightest bulb in the bunch…, but something is not adding up for me with this picture… Especially now that I remember the instructor saying some Tsunami waves can reach heights of 100 feet or more… This “safe zone’ is only 80 feet high… Do you think that adds up??
But no matter how high the “safe zone” is, it’s better than staying in the campground where the Tsunami waters are for sure going to cover everything… so just keep on running until…
finally, you reach a clearing which is the meeting place for us, and all the other hundreds of people that will be heading for the same little spot…
Bill said it took us seven minutes to reach the “safe zone” from our campsite. Not good enough, because we were fully dressed with shoes etc. If we were to have to do this in the middle of the night, we would have to get dressed, or at least put our shoes on, then grab our to go bags… Thankfully, they are all packed and ready to go..
I just hope all the other folks around here are packed and ready like we are. Because, if they aren’t, and I saw some little kid looking at me hungry, or cold… I would have to give them all our stuff and we would end up just like we never prepared at all..
Stay Tuned!
