Early this morning an earthquake shook all of us into the
keen awareness of being prepared during an emergency. For our coastal
communities, the tsunami warning system alerted residents to evacuate to higher
ground immediately; and the warnings worked. Area residents living in low lying
areas followed the well-known evacuation routes and mustered at predetermined
locations in their communities. And just as responders directed folks to
sheltering locations, residents returned home after the all clear was released
from a warning to an advisory status. First responders that continued to work
well into this morning are commended for their commitment to residents’ safety
#teamwork!
There are several warning systems that were triggered for
the tsunami warning: (1) the wireless emergency alert system that worked
automatically with the tsunami warning sirens; (2) the warning sirens located
in coastal communities that are within tsunami inundation zones (remember, there
are no sirens for inland communities); (3) the borough’s emergency notification
system that alerts landlines and registered cellphones (aka “Rapid Notify”).
Part of the after action is to review all warning systems, evaluate gaps and
install improvements after final analysis.
It is times like this that we are reminded of the strong
sense of community and neighborhood engagement, ensuring each other’s safety.
It is an affirmation that we Alaskans are resilient and often reminded to be
prepared in the times of local emergencies. In the coming weeks, the
borough will continue to post preparedness tidbits to aide your local
preparedness.
For now, take a moment to register on this borough-wide
information blog. When
this virtual joint information blog is activated during an area-wide response
that involves multiple jurisdictions, you will receive emails from the
responding agencies firsthand. Look for the “follow by email” window on the
left hand side of your desktop. NOTE: Be sure to switch to “view web version”
if you are registering from a cell phone. And lastly, remember to reply to the
blog’s email, confirming that you are a real person.
This is the final post for the 01/23/2018 Earthquake and Tsunami Response Messaging.
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