After a large earthquake near Humboldt County in early December, San Mateo County emergency officials are creating a new communication system to minimize confusion and misinformation during earthquake and tsunami risks.
Following a 7.0 earthquake on December 5 that triggered a tsunami warning from Oregon to Santa Cruz, coastal towns are still feeling uneasy.
Sue Hawley, a resident of Half Moon Bay, stated that going through the experience made it evident how precarious her life near water is.
“Not only is it difficult for folks to get out in an emergency, but it’s really going to be difficult for emergency vehicles and ambulances and fire and all of that to get in,” Hawley stated.
Hawley’s worries reflect those of other residents in San Mateo County’s District 3. Because of its proximity to the ocean, the region is full of winding, small roads that can be challenging to use in an emergency.
“Besides the tsunamis, we have fire and we’re in an earthquake area,” Hawley stated. “So there’s all kinds of things that we would need to be able to get out safely and have first responders get in efficiently.”
According to emergency personnel, the tsunami warning response was badly handled, with some residents in high-risk locations receiving little to no information.
Supervisor Ray Mueller said officials are trying to increase communication between homeowners and emergency teams, beginning with information about which communities are most at risk, at a meeting on Wednesday aimed at enhancing the county’s response.
“The state’s maps crashed, and so people were trying to go to the state site to find out where they were in relationship to the hazard, and the site was down,” Mueller told CBS Bay Area. “We’re really, as a county, trying to make sure that that doesn’t happen again.”
To help individuals understand their danger and where to escape, the San Mateo County Emergency Management team is creating a map.
For example, residents of the low-lying town of El Granada would be able to see the precise distance they would have to go inland in order to avoid tsunami waves.
According to Coast Side Fire Protection Board member Cynthia Sherrill, knowing that knowledge is essential in any emergency.
“Just go inland and move upward until you’re just above where the tsunami zone eastern edge is, and that’s varies all over the coast side because of some areas like this are right on the water,” Sherrill explained.
The danger map will be finished in the next weeks, according to the leader of the San Mateo Emergency Management team. Mueller expressed his expectation that residents will be better prepared thanks to the new communication plan.
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