The Seattle Times profiled the efforts of Westport, Washington to prepare for a megathrust quake and subsequent tsunami hit. These preparatory efforts, elements of which have been supported by the University of Washington, are being furthered by a $15.2 million grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to construct a vertical evacuation structure to help protect people in the low-lying area from a tsunami wave.
Situated on the coast, a tsunami from a Cascadia earthquake could arrive within 15 minutes and engulf the majority of the town. To prepare for this impending disaster, the Westport community is working with UW researchers on a number of projects to increase disaster resilience, including public workshops, creating a resilient local communications network and more.