Up and OUt Oregon Tsunami Wayfinding Research Project Final Project Report & Guidance Document Prepared by: PUARL (Portland Urban Architecture Research Lab) University of Oregon - Portland For: The Oregon Office of Emergency Management OEM PUARL Project Team: Dr. Hajo Neis (PI) Annie Ledbury Perrin Wright Srivarshini Balaji Kaeli Nolte Hannah Pempus Jacob Simonson Eli Rosenwasser Consultant: Howard Davis Client: Dr. Althea Rizzo Oregon Office of Emergency Management The PUARL Press, 70 NW Couch St. Portland, OR 97219 www.puarl.uoregon.edu © 2014 by The PUARL Press Figure 1.1 OregOn tsUnami Wayfinding research prOject Final Project Report & Guidance Document PRESS 4 Portland Urban Architecture Research Lab || University of Oregon - Portland Foreword ALTHeA RIZZo The Cascadia Subduction Zone runs off shore of western North America for about 600 miles from northern California to British Columbia. It is capable of producing megathrust earthquakes over 9.3 magnitude and creating a tsunami possibly over 100 feet. Oregon is working to becoming more pre- pared for the inevitable temblor and ensuing tsunami. One of the best ways to survive is to be able to get out of the tsunami inundation zone quickly. In order to do this, it is imperative that escape routes are clearly marked no matter the time of day or weather conditions. As Oregon has been a leader in tsunami hazard mitigation, we are continuing this tradition with this “Up and Out” wayfinding project. The Oregon Office of Emergency Management is very happy to partner with the Portland Urban Architecture Research Laboratory to seek creative solutions that will save lives during a tsunami event. Their work in other disaster prone areas, especially in hard hit Japan, makes them an excel- lent choice for this project. It is hoped that this is the first phase in creating a much safer Oregon by putting in place wayfinding systems that will help our residents and visitors escape to safety. This report can be used by com- munities to evaluate and re-invigorate how they create routes to safety. Althea Rizzo, Ph. D. Geologic Hazards Program Coordinator Oregon Emergency Management PO Box 14370 Salem, OR 97309-5062 work phone: (503) 378-2911 x 22237 5 Oregon Tsunami Escape Wayfinding Research Project || UP & OUT Preface and AcKNOWLEDGeMENTs HAJO NEIs The tsunami evacuation wayfinding project was a rather unusual challenge for the Portland Urban Architecture Research Laboratory (PUARL). Mostly, our projects are urban design, architectural design, and research projects that deal with investigating, designing and improving urban structure and buildings with architectural, urban design and planning methods. To work on a town and urban project in order to help to prevent or mitigate disaster situations is a first in our research and planning series in Portland. In terms of teaching, PUARL has covered this critical new field of disaster recovery and prevention for four years with projects in different parts of the world, including several tsunami projects (two in Japan from the 2011 tsunami and one in India from the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami). Dr. Hajo Neis, who has conducted three thesis studios with the topic of “Regenerative Design for Urban Neighborhoods in Buildings Destroyed by Natural Disasters and Catastrophic Human Failure,” has experience with tsunami disaster planning and rebuilding in Japan, and in particular a government workshop in Fukushima, Japan, in the summer of 2013. Srivarshini Balaji is the only person on our team who has actually experienced a tsunami event in 2004 in Chennai, India; as a consequence she has made a disaster recovery and prevention housing project for the same area in India the site and topic of her master thesis at the University of Oregon in 2014. Given that this was our first research and planning project in this series in Oregon, we had the opportunity to study, research, and learn a large amount of new material about tsunami disasters, evacuation, and escape wayfinding in particular. We have succeeded in carrying out the two main objectives of this project, first to conduct a charrette on evacuation wayfinding with stakeholders, citizens, and professionals in August of 2014 and, second, to prepare and deliver a guidance document for wayfinding in tsunami situations in this final report. Overall, we believe that the work on these projects is important for several reasons. First, it is critical for the creation of awareness of a possible major tsunami at the Oregon coast. Second, it is important for preparation of escape in a tsunami event. Third, it is important for actually carrying out a successful escape wayfinding act to reach higher ground during a tsunami. And fourth, it is important to be able to survive and organize life after a tsunami event in an ‘island condition,’ in total isolation from help from other communities along the coast. 6 Portland Urban Architecture Research Lab || University of Oregon - Portland AcKnowLedGeMenTs: We want to thank all of the people who helped us in this work, especially the citizens and city officials in the coastal town of Cannon Beach that served as our test study city. We would be delighted to return for further work on particular aspects of this wide field of investigation into tsunami preparedness in design. First we would like to thank Dr. Althea Rizzo for placing her trust in us, and for this service-learning research opportunity with the Oregon Office of Emergency Management. We would also like to thank the many institutions and private citizens who were helpful with our investigation, research, and design. We are grateful to the many experts and citizens who offered advice on current efforts and innovative approaches to tsunami wayfinding across the Oregon coast. In Cannon Beach, we are especially grateful to Daniel Grassick, Les Wierson and Bill Brehm, and the many committed volunteers and city officials working together to prepare for disaster without a roadmap. Thank you to the many stakeholders who participated in our Astoria charrette, including city officials, first responders, CERT volunteers, parks departments, ODOT engineers, planners, emergency managers, committee members, and interested citizens from the communities of Gearhart, Warrenton, Astoria, Nehalem, Cannon Beach, Tillamook, Hammond, Seaside, Portland, Oceanside, Clatsop County, Pacific City, Sandlake, and Neskowin. Thank you to Howard Davis for his research insights. And finally, thanks to the team of students and young designers for their curiosity, creative energy, and commitment to putting their skills to use in service of people impacted by disasters worldwide. _________________________________ Dr. Hajo Neis (PI), August 2014 7 Oregon Tsunami Escape Wayfinding Research Project || UP & OUT 8 Portland Urban Architecture Research Lab || University of Oregon - Portland Figure 1.2 TABLE OF CONTENTS OREGON TsUnAMI WAYFINDInG PROJECT acknOWledgements - althea rizzO 3. a survIval pattern language p. 81-135 fOreWOrd - hajO neis intrOdUctiOn 1. IntroductIon p. 10-33 BefOre: preparedness patterns 1.1 intrOdUctiOn tO prOject dUring: evacUatiOn patterns 1.2 execUtive sUmmary after: respOnse patterns 1.3 the Wayfinding prOject list Of additiOnal pattern prOpOsals 1.4 the prOject in cannOn Beach Using the sUrvival langUage 1.5 the need fOr tsUnami escape Wayfinding final remarks 1.6 prOject participants and stakehOlders 4. process and sequence: p. 135-154 1.7 cannOn Beach stakehOlders 4.1. intrOdUctiOn 1.8 existing tsUnami related effOrts 4.1.2. the UrBan game - OvervieW 1.9 Wayfinding gUidance dOcUment 4.1.3. prepare tO play 4.2. rUles Of the game 2. cannon Beach FIeld Work & oBservatIons p. 34-77 4.3. cannOn Beach example game 2.1 prOBlem 4.4. resUlts and recOmmendatiOns 2.2 definitiOns Term definitiOns 5. conclusIons & recommendatIons p. 155-163 2.3 research and design methOds 5.1 Overall recOmmendatiOns LiteratUre & precedent stUdy 5.2 detailed findings and RecOmmendatiOns IntervieWs BefOre-dUring-after COmmUnity meetings 5.3 final cOmments Site visits Design 6. BIBlIography p. 164-169 On-site testing Charrette ppendIx p 2.4 OBservatiOns, theOry, & findings 7. a : . 170-259 7.1. prOject team 2.4.1 hUman BehaviOr in disaster events 7.2. site visit One 2.4.2 signage theOry & precedents 7.3. site visit tWO 2.4.3 prOcess and seqUence theOry 7.4. site visit three 2.4.4 seqUence theOry 7.5 Berkeley site visit 2.4.5 UrBan landmarks and image Of the city 7.6. cannOn Beach field stUdy and 2.4.6 internatiOnal case stUdies & stOries prOject research 2.4.7. existing OregOn tsUnami cOastal 7.7. pOst tsUnami redevelOpment, india Signage, mapping & Wayfinding Systems 7.8. pOWerpOint exercise: pOmpeii Warm-Up 2.4.8 site visits, intervieWs, & cOmmUnity 7.9 cannOn Beach testing and prOpOsal presentatiOn Meetings 7.10 electrOnic gUidance dOcUment and 2.4.9 On-site testing Online presentatiOn 2.5 final remarks 9 Oregon Tsunami Escape Wayfinding Research Project || UP & OUT 10 Portland Urban Architecture Research Lab || University of Oregon - Portland Figure 1.3 1. InTRODUcTION 1.1 Introduction to Project 1.2 Executive Summary 1.3 The Wayfinding Project 1.4 The Project in Cannon Beach 1.5 The Need for Tsunami Escape Wayfinding 1.6 Project Participants and Stakeholders 1.7 Cannon Beach Stakeholders 1.8 Existing Tsunami Related Efforts 1.9 Wayfinding Guidance Document 11 Oregon Tsunami Escape Wayfinding Research Project || UP & OUT INTRODUCTION 1.1 PROJECT InTRODUcTION Coastal communities enjoy many of the wonderful qualities that the ocean offers its neighbors. But order to live with the sea, it is important to not underestimate its unpredictable nature and extreme power. Although the date is unknown, a local or distant earthquake leading to tsunami inundation is a constantly present, yet distant threat that residents always live with in their everyday lives. While some efforts are already being made by state, city, and local groups, every coastal community should be asking themselves, “are we ready for the big one?” Tsunami readiness can be broken down into three phases: prepare, evacuate, respond; or more simply put: before, during, and after.