Map Your Risk – FREE Tsunami Risk Awareness Assistance

In the context of all-hazards planning, governments should plan for a potential US East Coast tsunami, despite it being a low-probability event. It is essential for governments at various levels (federal, state, and local) to include tsunamis in their disaster preparedness, response and hazard mitigation plans. NESEC can help for FREE and here’s why planning is important:

• Hazard Mitigation: Planning allows governments to identify areas at higher risk of tsunamis, assess vulnerabilities, and implement mitigation measures to reduce potential impacts.
• Emergency Preparedness and Response: Developing comprehensive preparedness and response plans ensures that government agencies, emergency services, and relevant stakeholders are prepared to act swiftly and effectively during a tsunami event.
• Public Safety and Education: Governments play a crucial role in raising public awareness about tsunamis and educating communities on preparedness measures. They can disseminate information through various channels including social media platforms to ensure that residents understand the risks and know how to respond in case of a tsunami.
• Early Warning Systems: Governments can continue to invest in and maintain robust tsunami early warning systems that provide timely alerts to coastal communities.
• Research and Monitoring: Governments can continue support scientific research and monitoring efforts related to tsunamis along the US East Coast. This includes funding studies on potential sources, mapping potential tsunami inundation areas investing in monitoring equipment and technologies, and collaborating with research institutions to enhance our understanding of regional tsunami hazards.

While the probability of a tsunami along the US East Coast is relatively low, comprehensive planning allows governments to be proactive, mitigate risks, and protect lives and infrastructure. It ensures that the necessary infrastructure, systems, and preparedness measures are in place to respond effectively in the event of a tsunami.

Recognizing the need for tsunami hazard planning, inundation and evacuation map development, and community education, the United States Congress in 1995 directed the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to establish the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program (NTHMP) as a federal/state partnership for the specific purpose of mitigating the risk of tsunamis along U.S. coastlines.  The program is administered by NOAA and includes representation by a number of NOAA agencies, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and 28 U.S. states and territories. A coordinating committee composed of representatives from each of the member partners leads all efforts, the focus of which is increasing public awareness of the tsunami risk and supporting preparedness at the community, state, regional, and national level.

The Northeast States Emergency Consortium (NESEC) serves as the NTHMP Emergency Management Representative for the US East Coast, an area comprised of 14 States and over 29,000 miles of coastline.

This includes the following States:

Connecticut

Delaware

Florida (Atlantic/East Coast)

Georgia

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New York

North Carolina

Rhode Island

South Carolina

Virginia

The Northeast States Emergency Consortium (NESEC) provides no-cost FREE assistance to help cities and towns, states, regional and other critical and essential organizations in the coastal regions of the 14 States listed above to help understand and mitigate their risk from tsunamis and become more resilient. Using Esri ArcMap, FEMA Hazus Data, scientific analysis and maps developed by our partners, the University of Delaware and the University of Rhode Island, we will help you model the impacts of a tsunami striking your community. This is a completely FREE Service. There is no cost to the requesting city, town, county or state entity. Requests from private organizations will be evaluated on case-by-case basis depending on the critical and essential nature of the organization. In no cases can support be provided to private consulting firms.

Mapping critical and essential facilities over potential inundated areas can help you visualize potential tsunami inundation to your hospitals, schools, fire and police stations, EOC, shelters, etc.

NESEC will provide selected entities with easy-to-understand information covering the impact of a tsunami affecting your community. The Tsunami Risk Awareness Assessment (TRAA) report will include an inundation map (High or low resolution based on current availability) dollar estimates of property exposed to risk, estimated population at risk, critical facilities at risk, estimated potential wave height as available, estimated probability, estimated warning time, and if requested a Tsunami Social Vulnerability Analysis (TSVA). This information can be an important tool for community resiliency, hazard mitigation, emergency planning and operations, training exercises, social equity and more.

Mapping potentially vulnerable population groups over potential tsunami inundation areas can help to visualize potential tsunami inundation in relation to social vulnerability and equity.

NESEC may also create a more detailed map of critical facilities and other primary infrastructure within your community/region, based on available and user-provided data. NESEC will obtain available aerial photography and satellite imagery and compile it into a base map of your area. Mapping critical and essential facilities over potential tsunami impacted areas can help you visualize damage to your hospitals, fire and police stations, EOC, shelters, etc. and take actions to make your community more resilient.

How to Apply for Tsunami Risk Mapping Assistance

If your agency or organization is interested in obtaining NESEC’s FREE assistance with Tsunami Hazard Risk Mapping, please click on the link below and complete the quick and simple application.

Apply Now – NESEC FREE Tsunami Risk Mapping Application Form

NESEC will review applications as they are received and a conference call will be set up with each eligible applicant to discuss the details of your requested assistance. Your application will then be evaluated based on current funding and priorities, NESEC staff resources, the content of the request and other relevant factors such as levels of potential tsunami hazard risk and mitigation capacity and the current availability of high or low resolution inundation maps in your area.