HomeMy WebLinkAboutM060916SDistrict No. 1 Commissioner: Phil Johnson
District No. 2 Commissioner: David W. Sullivan
District No. 3 Commissioner: Kathleen Kler
County Administrator: Philip Morley
Clerk of the Board: Erin Lundgren
SPECIAL MEETING
MINUTES
Week of June 9, 2016
The meeting was called to order at 3:03 p.m. at the Port Townsend Fire Station 16 located
at 701 Harrison Street, Port Townsend. Jefferson County Chair Kathleen Kler and Commissioner David
Sullivan, and City of Port Townsend Mayor Deborah Stimson and other members of the Port Townsend
City Council attended the Special Meeting.
Jefferson County's Department of Emergency Management participated in the Cascadia Rising 2016
multi -state, multi -agency exercise June 7-10, 2016. The Special Meeting was called to give a mock
briefing of the Cascadia Subduction Zone Catastrophic Earthquake and Tsunami Functional Exercise to
the Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners and the Port Townsend City Council.
The purpose of the drill is to enhance disaster response joint -operations by testing the local, state, tribal,
and federal government as well as select private sector and non-governmental organizations' ability to
jointly respond to a Cascadia Subduction Zone 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami with associated
aftershocks along the West Coast of the United States. Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Canada and local
military were involved in the exercise.
Material provided at the briefing indicated that a major Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ) earthquake
occurs every 200-500 years. The last great quake took place in 1700 A.D. The CSZ is 700 miles long,
and ranges from northern California to British Columbia. Because of its location, it is capable of
producing very large earthquakes magnitude 9.0 and greater. Such an earthquake can trigger devastating
tsunamis. It is anticipated that the chance of a mega -thrust earthquake will occur in the next 50 years.
Department of Emergency Management Director Bob Hamlin met with the County and the City via
video conference from their command center in Port Hadlock. He and staff from Jefferson County, City
of Port Townsend and the military gave a briefing on the mock events that took place thus far in their
drill.
A short video presentation depicted the probable course of a tsunami as it travelled down the Strait of
Juan de Fuca into the Puget Sound. Because of the geography of the land, it is anticipated that a
"tsunami river" could most likely cut its way through North Beach carrying debris and travelling out
through the Port of Port Townsend.
The Commissioners and City Council members participated in a short question and answer period before
adjourning at 4:04 p.m.
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Commissioners Meeting Minutes of June 9, 2016
SEAL:
ATTEST:
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Carolyn Aon
Deputy Clerk of the Board
JEFFERSON COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Kathleen Kler, Chair
Da v an, er
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Phil Johnson, Member
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