The UO has partnered with the state to build a web-based platform that directs Oregon coastal communities to evacuation routes in the event of a tsunami.
The UO InfoGraphics Lab and Location Innovation Lab have been working with the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries and the Northwest Association of Networked Oregon Observing System to develop the platform. The website is now live and ready for users to dive in.
Visitors to the site are able to pick locations along the Oregon Coast and view which areas are both local and distant earthquake and tsunami regions, as well as the regions outside known impact zones. From there, users can generate the closest tsunami evacuation routes from any location within the mapped region.
Users can see the amount of time they have to evacuate from their current location; how long it will take to evacuate if they walk, jog or run; and where the best evacuation assembly area is located.
"The idea behind these evacuation routes is that people will be evacuating on foot," said Joanna Merson, cartographic developer for the InfoGraphics Lab and the project lead. "Due to the high potential for hazards and congestion on the roads, people may not be able to drive away from a tsunami; instead, they are encouraged to walk or run to high ground. Using this tool, people will be able to locate their home or work on the map and make a plan for evacuation."
The InfoGraphics Lab is based in the Department of Geography. The lab specializes in cartography, data visualization and geospatial analysis, and it often helps not only the UO community but also the state with various mapping projects. Merson said the Location Innovation Lab was critical to setting up the interactive hosted map service for the project.
When developing the models for the project, Merson said having the flexibility to add in local trails and other roads to the existing road network was important. Based on data the state has collected on existing local structures, such as identifying bridges that may not hold during a tsunami, Merson's team was able to create a model that redirects people around those potentially unreliable structures, which is a critical piece of the project.
"Using data from four distinct communities along the Oregon Coast, we've created a model that the state can now use for the rest of the coastal communities," Merson said. "By combining the state's local tsunami modeling and our routing model, we can now say when you feel an earthquake and you're located in this area, you have 20 minutes and then the water will reach you, or if you're in this area, you need to get uphill in six minutes, so you need to leave everything behind and get yourself to high ground. Local residents and visitors need to know what to do if they feel an earthquake. Many people know they need to have a 'go bag,' and this tool allows them to add to their plan."
Advanced preparation is critical for navigating natural disasters such as tsunamis and earthquakes. Although the evacuation routes can be accessed on the fly, Merson said the best way to use the information is in preparation planning.
The team also is revamping physical copies of local evacuation routes that will then be available at local businesses.
"I think with climate change, the pandemic and the fires, risk is at the front of people's minds," Merson said. "With the increasing frequency of disasters that we're seeing, it's really important that we communicate well as scientists, and that's something we aim to do in the InfoGraphics lab. We're thinking about what design choices help make our findings understandable."
