Pacific County and Hancock Forest Management (HFM) are working together to further enhance the network of tsunami evacuation routes and assembly areas in the county’s forests. The routes and new assembly areas are being identified and approved under the Pacific County Emergency Management program. Pacific County is collaborating with HFM, which manages the land where the routes are located.
“Pacific County is thankful for the efforts and cooperation of Hancock Forest Management (HFM) and Region Manager Dave Boyd,” stated Pacific County Commissioner Jon Kaino. “HFM’s commitment to working with the Pacific County Emergency Management Agency to enhance public safety by allowing access to their lands and providing assistance in signing and monitoring evacuation routes and assembly areas is truly appreciated.”
“The safety of the community has always been a top priority for our company,” said Dave Boyd, HFM’s Lower Columbia region manager. “As soon as we were made aware of the desire for improvement to the evacuation routes, we contacted the county and are working closely with them to create additional evacuation routes and assembly areas.”
Under the program, HFM will move its gates on most of the roads to provide access to high ground above a tsunami’s highest possible projected height. Signs will be placed on all of the roads identifying them as tsunami evacuation routes. Several other roads will remain un-gated.
Many of the high points also will receive signs identifying them as assembly areas, or places above the projected high-water mark where it is safe to gather. In the near future assembly areas will be labeled with its location’s specific latitude and longitude. These labeled points will be incorporated into a map of the area available from the Pacific County website: www.co.pacific.wa.us/pcema.
The 12 evacuation routes are located at:
US Highway 101, mile marker 29.4, state radar ridge road alternate for milepost 29.5.
US Highway 101, mile marker 30.8, the south end of Seal Slough Road.
US Highway 101, mile marker 32.2, the Seal Slough 50 spur.
US Highway 101, mile marker 34.5, Middle Nemah.
US Highway 101, mile marker 34.75, Dilley Mainline.
North Nemah Road East, the back end of the Dilley Mainline.
North Nemah Road East, the Hatchery Road.
North Nemah Road East, Williams Creek.
US Highway 101, mile marker 36.9, South Palix.
US Highway 101, mile marker 38.3, Palix Mainline.
Location #1 off Government Road.
Location #2 off Government Road.
The gates are intended to safeguard the Hancock forest lands from vandalism and other unauthorized use, Boyd said. More information on Pacific County’s tsunami evacuation program can be found on the Pacific County, Washington website. (image courtesy: Wikipedia)
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