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State of Alaska Department of Military and Veterans Affairs Office of Public Affairs P.O. Box 5800, Camp Denali Fort Richardson, Alaska 99505-5800 (907) 428-6031 Fax 428-6035 |
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State of Alaska Department of Military and Veterans Affairs Office of Public Affairs P.O. Box 5800, Camp Denali Fort Richardson, Alaska 99505-5800 (907) 428-6031 Fax 428-6035 |
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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | 5 June 2000 |
| POC: (907) 428-6031 |
TSUNAMI SIGNS TO BE POSTED IN STATE PARK
Alaska becomes first state to post tsunami warning signs in remote area, involve park system
SHOUP BAY, Alaska --- On
Wednesday, June 7, Shoup Bay State Marine Park will become the first remote location in the country to have tsunami warning signs. The signs will be posted to the recreational-use cabins in the park to warn visitors of the potential of tsunami hazards. The signs also serve as an awareness tool to remind people to plan for, prepare for and mitigate for tsunamis – Alaska’s greatest killer among natural disasters.
John Shively, Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Commissioner, and Dave Liebersbach, Alaska Division of Emergency Services (DES) Director, will participate in the sign posting event. Also expected to attend are DNR Assistant Commissioner Marty Rutherford, Area State Parks Superintendent Chris Degernes, Director of Alaska State Parks Jim Stratton, District Ranger Jack Sinclair, DES State Hazard Mitigation Officer Gary Brown and DES Tsunami / Earthquake Specialist Scott Simmons.
The signs being posted are:
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So far, Sitka, Homer and Sand Point have all received and started installing tsunami warning signs in their communities. Several additional communities have expressed interest in receiving signs from DES, however, prior to the issue of the signs, certain criteria must be met by the community. These requirements include creating a tsunami mitigation plan, establishing evacuation routes, and coordinating with Department of Transportation.
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Attention News Editors / Directors: Any media wishing to attend the event must call 428-6034 by Tuesday morning to confirm and plan to meet at the fuel dock in Valdez at noon on Wednesday. We will take a boat to Shoup Bay and should return mid-afternoon.
Additional background information on the sign program and digital images of the signs is available on request by calling 428-6034.
