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Seaside, OR-- Today Congressman David Wu announced his success in securing $500,000 for the city of Seaside to purchase tsunami warning hardware. The funding is included in the conference report of H.R. 2862, the Science, State, Justice and Commerce Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2006. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the legislation this week.
With the federal dollars, Seaside will now have the resources to replace and expand the current system by purchasing new sirens, weather radios for homes and hotel rooms and evacuation signage. Presently, Seaside's system is outdated and limited in its capacity to reach both residents and tourists.
"I have long held that mitigation programs, focusing on educating the public, and local warning systems are key to protecting Oregonians," stated Congressman Wu. "Seaside has done a fantastic job of educating residents and now the city can take additional steps to ensure the safety and security of its citizens and visiting tourists."
The City of Seaside is particularly vulnerable to tsunamis. Its most populated areas and commercial core are located within the projected tsunami inundation zone and only 15 to 30 minutes away from a near shore tsunami. In preparation, Seaside has focused efforts on community outreach and education networks that ensure readiness, and a quick evacuation.
Over the past several months, Congressman Wu has worked in Congress and in Oregon to educate and prepare residents of Seaside and other coastal communities. Last May, Congressman Wu was successful in his efforts to secure an additional $1.8 million for community-based mitigation programs that improve tsunami preparedness in at-risk areas of the United States such as the Oregon coast. Congressman Wu also held a tsunami preparedness forum in Seaside that provided the public with the opportunity to ask questions and receive the most up-to-date information on tsunami preparedness. And just last month, Congressman Wu gathered Portland metro-area local officials to share how they are actively, collaboratively working on emergency preparedness.
Congressman Wu has a direct role in Congress on emergency preparedness programs. He is ranking member of the Science Subcommittee on Environment, Technology and Standards which has jurisdiction over the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Institute of Standards and Technology which leads the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program.
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