Oregon Sea Grant workshops expand coast-wide to help communities learn about tsunami safety and practice evacuation

April 28, 2022

Scientists say there’s a 30 percent chance of a massive earthquake and tsunami striking the Pacific Northwest in the next 50 years. Photo credit: Tiffany Woods | Oregon Sea Grant

One way coastal residents and visitors can prepare for a potential earthquake or tsunami is to learn evacuation routes. Oregon Sea Grant organized workshops bringing educators, state parks personnel, researchers and emergency management experts together to discuss how to help communities prepare for a tsunami through the creation of Tsunami Quests: fun, clue-directed hunts that teach people how to respond to an earthquake or tsunami while walking an evacuation route. Following the workshops, participants created four new Tsunami Quests, all of which are engaging the public and student groups. These quests were published in the latest edition of the “Oregon Coast Quests Book”, of which more than 800 copies have been distributed since December 2018.

Group of people removing ghost nets from a beach.

Alabama

Biden-Harris administration invests $27 million to support community-driven marine debris solutions through Investing in America agenda

Today, the Department of Commerce and NOAA announced $27 million in funding for projects to prevent and remove marine debris in coastal and Great Lakes communities as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

This funding will support innovative research and foster local coalitions to address urgent marine debris issues by using NOAA Sea Grant’s partnered approach to bring science together with communities for solutions that work.

Shoring up the future, together: Collaborative efforts in coastal resilience across the Mid-Atlantic

Community members and city leaders gathered during a listening session to identify key climate readiness needs in Erie, Pennsylvania during June of 2023. (Photo by

Biden-Harris Administration invests $60 million to build a climate-ready workforce through Investing in America agenda

Today, the Department of Commerce and NOAA announced $60 million in funding to help train and place people in jobs that advance a climate-ready workforce for coastal and Great Lakes states, Tribes and Territories as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda under the Inflation Reduction Act. To date, awards like these from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda have created more than 270,000 jobs across the country.

The funding will support nine projects around the nation, with $50 million going directly to the projects and $10 million for technical assistance to support the grantees.