The Wahkiakum County Eagle - Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891

Improving the response capacity of Pacific County and other Washington State coastal communities at risk of tsunami presents an on-going challenge. To meet this challenge Pacific County Emergency Management has supported an evaluation program to monitor and improve earthquake and tsunami education and preparedness programs.

The latest phase of work will involve volunteer focus groups of residents and organizations to explore their understandings of tsunami hazards. The discussions and survey are aimed to quantify people’s understanding of tsunami hazards in Washington State, their knowledge regarding the warning systems, and their preparedness to deal with future events.

A range of groups are sought to ensure that the views of a diverse and representative range of constituencies are canvassed. Focus group meetings will ideally have between five and 20 people and last 45 minutes to 1 hour. All focus groups will be taped and transcribed and participants will be asked to complete a very short questionnaire. All information provided will be treated as confidential and no individual will be identified in any way.

Focus groups are currently scheduled for April 6 at the South Pacific County Administration Facility located at 7013 Sandridge Road in Long Beach. Several different times are available. Any Pacific County resident or organization interested in participating should contact the PCEMA Office at 360-875-9338 or smcdougall@co.pacific.wa.us and indicate morning or afternoon preference.