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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC AG PKT 2008-05-12 #J AGENDA STAFF REPORT . DATE: TO: May 12, 2008 Honorable Mayor and City Council THRU: FROM: David Carmany I City Manager Jeff Kirkpatrick, Chief of Police SUBJECT: 2007 -2008 Orange County Grand Jury Report: "Paradise Lost - If a Tsunami Strikes the Orange County Riviera..." Mayor and City Council Response to the Grand Jury Report, Pursuant California Penal Code 1933 and 1933.05 SUMMARY OF REQUEST: . Formal written responses from the Mayor and from the City Council, as required by law, to the 2007-2008 Orange County Grand Jury Report: "Paradise Lost - If a Tsunami Strikes the Orange County Riviera..." BACKGROUND: The Southern California coastline weathered a tsunami warning on June 14, 2005. The City of Seal Beach, as well as all other Orange County coastal cities were effected by the warning. Fortunately, the warning brought no real threat. However, it did bring a reawakening by the coastal communities as to their vulnerabilities and levels of preparedness. The 2007-2008 Orange County Grand Jury elected to study the level of readiness achieved by the coastal communities and compiled a report with..their findings and recommendations. Seal Beach has undertaken a number of initiatives to increase its disaster preparedness. California Penal Code sections ~933 and ~933.05 compel formal written responses by the Mayor individually, and the City Council as a whole, to the Presiding Judge of the Superior Court, within 90 days of the report's release to the public. The Grand Jury released the report to the public on April 14, 2008. . The responses comment upon the Grand Jury's findings and recommendations. They further comment on the City's current preparedness and outline its efforts to date. Agenda Item ,J FINANCIAL IMPACT: None. . RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends the Mayor and City Council receive and file the attached 2007 -2008 Orange County Grand Jury Report: "Paradise Lost - If a Tsunami Strikes the Orange County Riviera... /I Staff has prepared a written response for the Mayor's signature and a similar written response for the entire City Council's signature. Staff recommends the Mayor and City Council evaluate the written responses and if they approve, affix their signatures to an original copy for submission to the Presiding Judge of the Superior Court, Nancy Wieben-Stock. NOTED AND APPROVED: (!5r,;,l ~ David carmanYJ~ity Manager . Attachments: A. Grand Jury Report B. Penal Code Sections 933, 933.05 C. Mayors formal response D. City Council's formal response . . . . ORANGE COUNTY GRAND JURY 700 CIVIC CENTER DRIVE WEST- SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA 92701 - 714/834-3320 FAX 714/834-5555 April 8, 2008 Charles Antos, Mayor City of Seal Beach 211 8th Street Seal Beach, CA 90740 Dear Mayor Antos: Enclosed is a copy of the 2007-2008 Orange County Grand Jury report, "PARADISE LOST: H a Tsunami Strikes the Orange County Riviera..." Pmsuant to Penal Code 933.05(f), a copy of the report is being provided to you at least two working days prior to its public release. Please note that, "No officer, agency, department, or governing body of a public agency shall disclose any contents of the report prior to the public release of the final report." (Emphasis added.) It is required that you provide a. response to each of the findings and recommendations of this report directed to your office in compliance with Penal Code 933.05(a) and (b), copy attached. For each Grand Jury recommendation accepted and not implemented, provide a schedule for future implementation. In addition, by the end of March of each subsequent year, please report on the progress being made on each recommendation accepted but not completed. These annual reports should continue until all recommendations are implemented. It is requested that the response to the recommendations be mailed to Nancy Wieben Stock, Presiding Judge of the Superior Court, 700 Civic Center Drive West, Santa Ana, CA 92701, with a separate copy and an electronic format (PDF on CD preferred) mailed to the Orange County Grand Jury, 700 Civic Center Drive West, Santa Ana, CA 92701, no later than 90 days after the public release date, April 14, 2008, in compliance with Penal Code 933, copy attached. The due date then is July 14, 2008. Should additional time for responding to this report be necessary for further analysis, Penal Code 933.05(b)(3) permits an extension of time up to six months from the public release date. Such extensions should be advised in writing, with the information required in Penal Code 933.05(b)(3), to the Presiding Judge of the Superior Court, with a separate copy of the request to the Grand Jury. We tentatively plan to issue the public release on April 14. Upon public release, the report will be available on the Grand Jury web site (www.oc2l'andiwy.oreS. .- AAA:dv cc: David N. Carmany, City Manager Enclosures' Grand Jury Report Penal Code 933, 933.05 PARADISE LOST: If a Tsunami Strikes the Orange County Riviera. . . . SUMMARY Someday in the lifetime oftoday's toddlers building sandcastles on the beach, a tsunami may strike Orange County's 42-mile coastline, causing property damage and loss of life. In the worst-case scenario envisioned by the county's emergency managers, a 32-foot high wall of water would storm across the sand and slam into densely populated beach communities. Its force could destroy buildings and turn cars and debris into dangerous projectiles. Surging and receding waves could wash out roads and bridges, and even cut new channels to the sea. Many lives may be lost, most due to drowning, with children and the elderly being the most vulnerable. The 2007-2008 Orange County Grand Jury investigated the county's readiness for a tsunami. It concluded that beach communities here-thanks to the cities' emergency managers--are probably better prepared for a tsunami than communities along any other comparable s1retch of California coastline. Their planning has resulted in new tsunami signs, inundation maps and public education. Sign in Seal Beach The Grand Jury found that these commendable efforts still fall short of what is required to adequately inform the public- especially tourists--of a tsunami hazard and how to respond. Existing signs are small, difficult to read from passing cars and may go unnoticed. Inundation maps are inconsistent from agency to agency. Public education largely overlooks visitors who, on summer days at the beach, may oumumber residents. . To reduce potential casualties sustained in a rare but dangerous tsunami, the Grand Jury recommends better signage and warning systems-and relentless public education for both residents and visitors. REASON FOR INVESTIGATION On December 26, 2004, in possibly the worst natural disaster of the modern era, a magnitude 9.3 earthquake off Sumatra unleashed a tsunami that killed more than 200,000 persons around the Indian Ocean. On June i4,2005, following a 7.2 earthquake off Northern California, a tsunami warning was issued for the California coast including Orange County. The result was mass confusion. Some residents, heeding a televised warning to evacuate, were trapped in traffic congestion. The warning was soon cancelled and the small tsunami came ashore unnoticed. 'This tiny tsunami, reported the Associated Press, "exposed just how unprepared the region was to the threat." The Grand Jury wanted to know: Is Orange County ready for a tsunami? ." . CONFIDENTIAL . . . METHOD OF INVESTIGATION The Grand Jury searched.the internet websites of news publications, professional journals, and those institutions and government agencies studying tsunamis. Grand Jurors visited each of the county's coastal communities and conducted face-to-face interviews with emergency management staff. Tsunami emergency plans for the county and four of the six beach cities were reviewed. Two lectures on tsunamis and one on earthquakes were attended as was an American Red Cross disaster preparedness academy. BACKGROUND AND FACTS A tsunami is a series of large waves generated by an underwater earthquake or landslide, volcano emption or meteor strike. Once unleashed, tsunami waves travel across the ocean at 450 to 600 miles per hour. Spread out, they may pass unnoticed beneath ships at sea. Nearing the coast, the waves slow and begin to pile up. By the time they hit land, tsunami waves can reach great heights-the 1883 emption of Indonesia's Krakatoa Volcano caused a 130-foot high tsunami-and strike with deadly force at 30 to 40 miles per hour, faster than victims can run. These waves can knock down buildings, turn cars and debris into battering-rams and run up bays and rivers to inundate inland areas. Tsunamis have carried ships and barges as far as a mile inland. In harbors, tsunamis cause destructive sloshing that can last for hours-tsunami is Japanese for harbor wave. The surge and withdrawal of succeeding waves can undermine roads, foundations and even cut new channels to the sea. Waves just waist high can knock adults off their feet and sweep them away. Tsunamis are unpredictable. They may announce their approach by drawing water out to sea before rising up and striking the beach. Or, they may surge onshore without warning. Most tsunamis are associated with large underwater earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.5 or greater, though a smaUer earthquake could trigger a submarine landslide to cause a tsunami. To generate a tsunami, an earthquake must violently lift or drop the sea floor and displace huge amounts of seawater to send a tsunami radiating out like ripples in a pond. The National Weather Service operates a system of buoys throughout the Pacific Ocean that detects tsunamis as they cross the ocean. Launched in 1946 after an Alaskan earthquake spawned a tsunami that killed dozens in Hawaii and Northern California, this system now consists of 110 buoys, with nine installed in the last decade that transmit real-time sea-level data. Once a tsunami is detected, the National Weather Service's Alaska Tsunami Warning Center will issue warnings to the West Coast The amount of warning time given to coastal populations depends on where the tsunami originates. A "distant tsunami" generated across the Pacific Ocean would allow several hours warning. But a "regional tsunami" generated in mid-ocean may permit only 30 to 2 !-" J'J', L : -..." 60 minutes warning. A '"local tsunami" generated off the California coast could strike the shore in minutes, with possibly the only warning being a violent shaking of the ground. . It is this locally-generated tsunami that causes the greatest concern. The Sleeping Danger OtIshore "Natural hazards that are less frequent tend to be ignored" -USC Professor Costas Synolakis State agencies estimate that Orange County is at "moderate" risk ofa tsunami.' In 1855, two large waves surged up San Juan Creek. In 1877, an earthquake in Chile sent a three- foot high wave into Anaheim Bay in Seal Beach. In 1934, Newport Beach reported a wave 9.8-feet high that injured four persons, destroyed several cottages on Balboa Peninsula and washed away pavement, isolating some residents. In 1964, a tsunami caused by a 9.3 earthquake in Alaska sent a four- to five-foot high surge into Anaheim Bay-Huntington Harbour. Recently, scientists at the University of Southern. California's Tsunami Research Center have found geologic evidence that large tsunamis have struck Southern California's coast in the prehistoric past2 Moreover, they concluded Orange County's offshore geology could trigger tsunamis at any time. . The continental shelf off Orange County mirrors the land above with underwater mountains, deep canyons, earthquake faults and unstable landslide areas. Newly discovered thrust faults and even some strike-slip faults could violently lift the seafloor to trigger a tsunami. Thrust faults do so by pushing one side of the fault up over the other. With strike-slip faults, one side slides Sign at Ba/boa Pier. Newport Beach past the other to cause violent shaking but usually no tsunami. But bends in a s1rike-slip fault that lock the fault in place could lift the seafloor when broken by an earthquake. USC researchers believe that uplifting at restraining bends created Catalina Island and the Palos Verdes Peninsula.3 They are concerned that a restraining bend on an SO-mile section of a fault along the western side of Catalina Island could produce a magnitude 7.6 earthquake and send a six-foot high tsunami crashing onshore in minutes. I "Local Planning Guidance on Tsunami Response," Governor's Office of Emergency Services 2 Lecture by geologist Mark Legg, Ph.D., on "Tsunami: Hazards from Slip-Sbike Faults & the South Coast Thrust" to the Anaheim Community Emergency Response Team meeting at the Anaheim Emergency Operations Center, October 9,2007. His talk was based on his own research and the report in the following footnote. 3 "Evaluation of Tsunami Risk to Southern California Coastal Cities," by Mark R. Legg. Jose C. Borrero and Costas E. Synolakis, 2002 NEHRP Professional Fellowship Report, January 2003. . 3 . Deep canyons off Orange County are prone to landslides like those onshore. These landslides also could send a tsunami toward the coast. Recent offshore mapping, according to the professional journal Civil Engineering, found that a potential landslide site off Palos Verdes Peninsula could send a 15 to 60 foot wave ashore in less than a minute with a devastating impact on structures and the economy.4 The Orange County Sheriff Department's Emergency Management Bureau, which supports and helps coordinate local disaster planning by the cities, cited a probability study in its tsunami response plan on the likelihood of a tsunami s1riking the coast. This study found that Orange County can expect a four- to nine-foot high tsunami every 100 years and a seven- to 16-foot high wave every 500 years. Consulting with scientists and citing field studies and. inundation maps, the Sheriff Department arrived at its worst-case scenario: a tsunami wave 10 meters or 32.81 feet high. 5 The Tsunami Threat in Perspective "Low probability, high consequence" -One emergency manager's tsunami mantra . Scientists make a distinction between tsunami risk and exposure. The risk: of a tsunami striking the Orange County coast is low to moderate. But the county's exposure to possible death and destruction from a significant tsunami is enormous. Thousands of residents now live in densely populated coastal areas wlnerable to a tsunami. The low-lying beach cities from Newport Harbor to Seal Beach lie partially on the deltas of rivers long-ago channeled and contained. From Corona del Mar in Newport Beach south to San Clemente, the exposure is limited due to their high coastal cliffs, although all of these cities have some small areas wlnerable to a tsunami. In addition to permanent residents, this Riviera-like paradise attracts tourists from around the world. These visitors are both a burden on public services and a benefit to the economies of these beach cities. The Sheriff Department estimates that visitors on warm. summer days can swell the county's coastal population by as many as 500,000. The damage from an offshore earthquake may obstruct exit routes, thus compounding the hazard posed by the subsequent tsunami. The earth's shaking and possible liquefaction- when the sandy soil becomes soft mud and buildings sink into it-may bring down 4 "Could It Happen Here?" by Jose BOITero, Sungbin Cho, James E. Moore II, Harry W. Richardson, and Costas Synolakis, Civil Engineering, April 2005 5 "County of Orange Operational Area Emergency Plan," Orange County SheriffDepartmentlEmergency Management Bureau, January 2004, and "Orange County Operational Area: Tsunami Planning Efforts, Tsunami Plan Annex, 2006 Tsunami Exercise, Tl!unamiReady$ Program," Orange County Sheriff Department's Emergency Bureau, July 26,2007. . 4 . buildings, bridges, 1rees, power lines and poles, thus blocking evacuation routes. Power failures may knock out traffic signals, and broken gas lines may result in fires. Those seeking to escape the tsunami by driving away could :find themselves trapped in their cars and exposed to oncoming waves. Several emergency management staffers advised that the best and safest way to escape a tsunami is on foot A tsunami disaster would have other devastating and possibly long-lasting impacts. Rebuilding homes, roads and bridges could take months. Critical infrastructure such as sewage treatment plants and distribution systems for water, electricity and natural gas could be out of service for weeks. A key component of the coastal economy-tourism-may take years to bounce back. A tsunami disaster would impact not just the coast but inland cities which may see their own services disrupted as they receive evacuees from the coast and send mutual aid. . Sign on PCH, Laguna Beach It is the sobering responsibility of Orange County's emergency managers to be prepared for a tsunami. . The O.C. Gets TsunamiReady@ After the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami disaster, emergency managers along Orange County's coast began meeting to establish a more effective and coordinated response to a tsunami emergency. This effort received even greater urgency when the June 2005 tsunami warning resulted in confusion, miscommunication and, according to the group's minutes, "led to misinformed decisions...6 . Early on, these emergency managers established as their objectives: 1) coordinating their tsunami planning; 2) preparing more effective tsunami plans for each jurisdiction; 3) developing standardized public education campaigns and messages~ and 4) conducting a coordinated, countywide tsunami exercise. They established as a common goal to have the entire 42-mile Orange County coast designated as TsunamiReady@bytheNational Weather Service (NWS). The NWS criteria for that designation requires these agencies to have: I) multiple ways of receiving NWS tsunami warnings; 2) more than one way to pass these warnings on to the public; 3) public education to promote community readiness, and 4) a formal tsunami plan. lfthe TsunamiReadyQP designation is any indication, Orange County's emergency managers have largely accomplished this mission. Of the eight California cities so designated, five are in Orange County: Seal Beach, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, 6 Source: Agendas and Minutes of Meetings of the Tsunami Planning Sub Committee of the Orange County Emergency Management Organization, cited in "Orange County Operational Area Tsunami Plan Annex, 2006 Tsunami Exercise, TsunamiReady@ Program, Orange County Sheriff Department's Emergency Management Bureau. 5 . . Dana Point and San Clemente. The County of Orange is the only California county designated as TsunamiReady@.7 Even so, a tsunami generated just off the California coast will give emergency management staff little time to warn and assist the public in evacuating wlnerable beach communities. Countywide Tsunami Exercise On May 4, 2006, emergency planners conducted a countywide disaster exercise coordinated at the Sheriff Department's Emergency Operations Center at Lama Ridge. The exercise assumed a 9.0 Alaska earthquake generated a tsunami that would strike the West Coast five hours later with five- to ten-foot high waves. The exercise focused on testing communication and coordination between 13 county departments, 26 cities, 13 school dis1ricts, 11 other local agencies, three state and two federal agencies, the Red Cross and ham radio operators. Emergency management staff interviewed by the Grand Jury said the exercise was a remarkable success. Infmmation about tsunamis is now included with information distributed coastal communities on how to respond to potential disasters, such as floods, wildfires and earthquakes. These efforts are largely directed toward permanent residents, not visitors who on wann summer days may outnumber residents at the beach. Public Education 8 . The importance of public education was emphasized in a 2005 report by the California Commission on Seismic Safety. "Californians are not adequately educated about tsunamis and the risk they pose," it said; "consequently, many are unaware how to respond to natural or official tsunami warnings." ~aPomtR~gerowrk(agn~ It appeared to the Grand Jury that beach cities make only a minimal effort to inform visitors about the tsunami hazard, primarily through signage. As a result, these visitors may be the least prepared and the most wlnerable to a tsunami. Yet, in the event of a tsunami disaster, these cities will be responsible for the evacuation and rescue of visitors. Mapping the Tsunami Hazard Zone 7 "Tsunami Ready Communities," www.tsunamireadv.noaa.govlts-communities.htm . 6 . Valuable tools in preparing for the big waves are maps of the tsunami hazard zone, known as run-up or inundation maps. They are based upon the characteristics of the local topography and an estimate of areas that would be inundated by the worst-case scenario, a 32-foot high wave. The Grand Jury found that maps used by the Sheriff Department's Emergency Management Bureau are dramatically inconsistent with those used by the cities of Huntington Beach and Newport Beach and appear to minimize the threat. Its map for Huntington Beach shows a tsunami hazard zone limited to a narrow strip on the beach " ~ ~:":= " ., =:=.::~-=-....,. ~ ----- j "'" The cities of Huntington Beach (left) and Newport BetJCh have developed maps showing the possible extent ofi1lUndation by a worst-case 32-foot high tsunami.' State maps used by the Sheriff Department's Emergency Management Bureau t show a dramatically smaller impact zone. . side of Pacific Coast Highway. The City of Huntington Beach's run-up map shows the hazard zone extending more than 2.5 miles inland in places. Emergency managers there estimate that 75 percent of the city lies at an elevation of25 feet or less. Similarly, the Sheriff Department's map for Newport Beach shows a tsunami hazard zone following a narrow strip ~ong the beach and including most but not all of the Balboa Peninsula. The City of Newport Beach's tsunami map shows the hazard zone covering the entire Newport Harbor area including the Upper Bay. The Sheriff Department responded that its maps are based upon those produced by the State of California Office of Emergency Services. Both sets of maps were produced by eminent scientists but both rely upon different assumptions. For emergency management staff to effectively coordinate their responses before, during and after a tsunami disaster, they need to work from the same scientifically accurate maps. Failure to do so could lead to confusion and decisions based on misinformation which may unnecessarily jeopardize lives. An effective response to a tsunami requires coordinated maps using common assumptions and a consistent appearance for the county's entire coast I~ource: Websites for the cities of Huntington Beach and Newport Beach. . 7 . Signage Over the past year, new tsunami warning signs began appearing at the beach and along roadways in all Orange County coastal communities. The Grand Jury believes the placement of these signs in the tsunami hazard zones represents a bold, significant and laudable step in public education for residents and visitors alike. In at least one city, emergency planners met with chamber of commerce officials to address concerns about the effect of the tsunami signs on tourism and property values. For purposes of consistency and public recognition, the California Department of Transportation-Caltrans--requires that all cities use the same tsunami sign images. The four types of tsunami signs authorized for use on California streets and highways read: . "Entering/Leaving Tsunami Hazard Zone" ' . "Tsunami Hazard Zone-In Case of an Earthquake, Go to High Ground or Inland" . "Tsunami Evacuation Route" with or without arrows . "Evacuation Site" with an image of people on high ground above a wave The Grand Jury observed that only two cities, Seal Beach and Dana Point, utilized "Entering" signs, with most using the "Hazard Zone" and "Evacuation Route" signs. . -t Santa Ana La n 9 Be a c h\i. Laguna Beach 1f Most roadside tsunami warning signs ore small and difficult to read. These signs, from left, are in Seal Beach, Huntington Beach and Newport Beach. The Grand Jury found the signs on roadways to be small and difficult to read and noted a great variation from city to city in their numbers, locations and orientation. Letters on the tsunami hazard signs are a fraction of the sm;'ofthose on "Tourist Info," ''Electric Vehicle Charging Station" and other common signs. Caltrans allows cities to use three different sizes of signs: small, medium and large. Large signs are twice the size of the small ones. Almost every Orange County coastal city chose to use the smallest signs, at least initially. No city uses the largest, most visible and legtDle signs. The number of signs posted by Orange County's beach communities varies greatly from city to city and appears to bear no relationship to the length of coastline within their . 8 boundaries. To some extent, this may be due to topography such as coastal bluffs. Following is a comparison of the length of coastline within each city (including state beaches) and the number of tsunami signs posted in those cities: . City Seal Beach Sunset Beach (County) Huntington Beach Newport Beach Laguna Beach Dana Point San Clemente Miles of Coastline 2.0 1.3 8.5 6.0 7.0 6.0 5.5 Number of SiJmS in City . / 66 33/r? 't.e 29 ,;L '- 122 1'1.3 61 10. , 6 rf 42 7 33 ~ The Grand Jury also noticed differences in the location and orientation of tsunami signs from city to city. . Newport Beach, for example, has no tsunami signs on Pacific Coast Highway (pCH), the county's primary traffic corridor along the coast, while Huntington Beach has 21 tsunami signs on PCH. The orientation of tsunami street signage also reflects markedly different emphases. Visitors driving into Seal Beach, Huntington Beach and Dana Point, for example, will see tsunami signs as they enter the coastal tsunami hazard zone. Tsunami street signage in Newport Beach, primarily evacuation route signs, are directed toward vehicles leaving the city, with none directed at in-bound traffic. Due to these signage problems, visitors in some beach cities may be unaware that they have entered a tsunami hazard zone. . Indeed, the number of tsunami signs, as well as their location and orientation, could be interpreted as an indication of that city's level of commitment to informing visitors of the tsunami hazard. Warning the Public To obtain the TsunamiReady@ designation, cities must have multiple ways of alerting the public to a tsunami warning. Most Orange County cities rely on issuing these warnings through radio and television, automated telephone calling systems, loudspeakers on police and fire emergency vehicles including helicopters, on lifeguard vehicles and at lifeguard stations, and in some cases through sirens on poles or structures. In the case of sirens, the Grand Jury questioned their value if people at the beach- particularly non-resident visitors-do not know what the sirens mean. In two beach cities near San Onofre Nuclear Power Station, San Clemente and Dana Point, this is not a problem. For years they have had sirens in case of a nuclear accident and have educated residents to turn on a radio or television for an emergency message upon hearing the sirens. In addition, their sirens have voice public address capability so that verbal instructions can be broadcast to initiate an evacuation. Such is not the case in two other cities that are upgrading or purchasing b.each area sirens. Huntington Beach has four sirens in beach areas while Newport Beach plans to install three or four sirens at its 9 . . beaches. These sirens lack public address capability, although lifeguards have a public address system on the Huntington Beach pier that can be heard a half mile away. Upon hearing the sirens, residents and visitors there are expected to mow to tune their radios to the county's primary emergency alert station, 107.9 FM. Failure to inform beach visitors what the sirens mean could lead to confusion or cause the warning to be ignored. It is important to note the difference between a '~unami watch" and a "tsunami . warning." A ''watch'' indicates that a tsunami may occur and that people should get ready to leave. A ''warning'' indicates that a tsunami has been detected and threatened areas should evacuate immediately. If an offshore earthquake has the potential to send a tsunami crashing ashore in two hours or less, the National Weather Service will issue a warning as a precaution. Evacuations Once a tsunami warning is confirmed, all Orange County beach cities plan to order evacuations of their tsunami hazard zones. Sign in Dana Point A distant tsunami would give local authorities several hours to warn the public, organize evacuations and even set traffic signals to green lights for departing traffic. Given sufficient time, Huntington Beach and Newport Beach will bring in public transit buses to pick up evacuees at pre-selected pick-up points and take them to evacuation sites on high ground. Emergency management staff in the low-lying, densely populated north coast believe they can evacuate their at-risk populations in three to five hours. Evacuation in south coast cities will be comparatively quick and easy with small populations at risk and short escape routes to high ground. . A regional tsunami with 30 to 60 minutes notice allows time to issue an official warning to the public, but an organized evacuation might not be possible. In fact, most cities plan to order their police, fire and lifeguard personnel out of the hazard zone for their own safety 30 to 60 minutes prior to the tsunami's predicted impact. Police helicopters, however, will continue broadcasting warnings and instructions above the beach throughout the emergency. .. A locally generated tsunami that could hit the coast within minutes. might not even allow time to issue an official warning. In this case, the Sheriff Department's tsunami plan states, uLocal populations at risk should be able to recognize the signs of impending tsunami hazards, such as strong, prolonged ground shaking, and seek higher ground." The survival of coastal residents and visitors will depend on the level of information provided to them through targeted public education as well as their own individual preparation. . 10 Most emergency managers recommend that residents avoid the use of cars and go to high ground on foot. The American Red Cross recommends that people fleeing a tsunami should try to get "100 feet above sea level or two miles inland...on foot within IS minutes.,t9 Using bicycles or motorbikes were other possibilities mentioned to avoid traffic congestion and road blocks. If there is not enough time to leave the threatened area, emergency managers recommend ''vertical evacuation;" i.e., go up at least three floors in a tall, sturdy building, preferably one constructed of reinforced concrete. AP. a last resort, says an official U.S. government document, "climb up a strong tree."IO . Some question the wisdom of ordering a mass evacuation based upon the worst-case scenario every time a tsunami warning is issued. "A poorly coordinated evacuation can actually put people in harm's way," says the California Seismic Safety Commission. "An evacuation has its risks and should not be undertaken lightly. ..II Frequent evacuations based on small tsunamis or false alarms, some worry, will cause a disbelieving public to ignore warnings. Because of their large populations at risk, Huntington Beach and Newport Beach plan phased evacuations starting with those areas closest to the beach. This suggests that an alternative approach might be to develop a graduated system with different levels or stages of tsunami hazard zones, warnings and evacuations. Because such a change would require considerable discussion at the local, state and national level, the Grand Jury makes no finding or recommendation on this suggestion. At any rate, residents and visitors should have no confusion when they hear a tsunami warning. They should know exactly what to do-Get to higher ground as soon as possible. . The Local Tsunami and Self-Reliance In a local tsunami, coastal residents and visitors will be on their own. Self-reliance will be the key to survival. AP. is the case for any disaster, every household along the coast should have a plan for dealing with a tsunami. Emergency managers and the Red Cross recommend having a weather radio to keep people informed about weather- and water-related warnings. Residents should prepare "grab and go" bags such as a backpack with necessary supplies, such as food, water, medication and spare eyeglasses. No one should enter the water or attempt to ride the waves. A churning tsunami cannot be surfed. The waves will hurl debris with deadly force, and swimmers and boats may be crushed against buildings. , ''Tsunami,'' The American Red Cross website, http://www.redcross.orglservices/disaster/O,1082,0 592 -,OO.html 10 "Surviving a Tsunami: Lessons from Chile, Haw~ii and Japan," Brian F. Atwater, Marco Cisternas V., Joanne Bourgeois, Walter C. Dudley, James W. Hendley II, and Peter H. Stauffer, U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1187. revised and reprinted 2005. II "The Tsunami Threat to California," State ofCalifomia Seismic Safety Commission, December 2005. 11 . .- . In a local tsunami.:-.-as in a wildfire-individuals may be required to make split-second decisions Withlife-or-death consequences. According to San Clemente's emergency plan, a tsunami ''may require self-evacuations through areas damaged by the earthquake and at high risk of aftershocks." The Newport Beach website leaves no room for equivocation. "When you hear a tsunami warning, you must assume a dangerous wave is on its way," the city's website states. "Leave the beach immediately! Move to higher ground or upper floors of buildings. Do not take the time to go to your car." The better-safe-than-sorry rule applies. In the event of a major earthquake violent enough to make it difficult to stand, residents and visitors in the tsunami hazard zone must assume that a tsunami could strike within minutes. To ensure that they are prepared requires relentless public education directed toward visitors as well as residents. CONCLUSION Because of the efforts of its emergency planners, the Orange County coast is probably better prepared for a tsunami than any other comparable stretch of California coast. Developing coordinated, countywide tsunami response plans with new signage and public education tools and activities represents a significant improvement. . The Grand Jury concluded, however, that the information available to visitors and perhaps even to some residents is insufficient to reduce casualties in the event of a local tsunami disaster. The signage is too small and, in some cases, fails to provide adequate notice to visitors entering the tsunami hazard zone. Sirens may be ineffective unless those hearing the warning know what to do, through signage or other means. Public education is largely directed at permanent residents and overlooks visitors. Yet, on warm summer days, visitors may oumumber residents and be at greater risk in a tsunami due to inadequate information about tsunamis. COMMENDATION AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Grand Jury commends the emergency managers for Orange County coastal communities who, following the disas1rous 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, took the initiative and provided the leadership to re-examine local tsunami plans. Their efforts led to the May 2006 countywide tsunami exercise in which representatives of more than five dozen government agencies participated. Thanks to them, Orange County is the most prepared stretch of coast in California to respond to a rare but dangerous tsunami. The Grand Jury also wishes to acknowledge the cooperation and professionalism of these emergency managers who answered the jurors' many questions quite graciously. FINDINGS In accordance with California Penal Code sections 933 and 933.05, each finding shall be responded to by the government entity to which it is addressed. The responses are to be . 12 submitted to the Presiding Judge of the Superior Court. The 2007-2008 Orange County Grand Jury bas arrived at the following findings: . F-l. The Sheriff Department's existing tsunami inundation maps are inconsistent with those used by the two largest coastal cities, appear to l11inimi7.e the threat and could contribute to misinformed decision-making during a crisis. F-2. Existing tsunami signs along roadways are small, difficult to read and, in at least one city, not visible to visitors driving into the tsunami hazard zone. F-3. Sirens at the beach without public address capability are ineffective unless beachgoers know what the sirens mean and how to respond to the warning. F-4. Public education directed at beach visitors is inadequate, making them the least prepared and highest at-risk population in the event of a tsunami. Responses to findings F-l, F-2 and F-4 are required from: . City Council, City of Newport .Beach . County of Orange Sheriff-Coroner . City Council, City of Dana Point . City Council, City of Laguna Beach . City Council, City of Huntington Beach . City Council, City of Seal Beach . City Council, City of San Clemente . Responses to finding F-3 are required from: . City Council, City of Huntington Beach _ . City Council, City of Newport Beach A response to finding F-2 is requested from: . OC Infrastructure (formerly the County Resources and Development Management Department) RECOMMENDATIONS In accordance with California Penal Code sections 933 and 933.05, each recommendation will be responded to by the government entity to which it is addressed. The responses are to be submitted to the Presiding Judge of the Superior Court. Based on the findings of this report, the 2007-2008 Orange County Grand Jury makes the following recommendations: R-I. The Sheriff Department's Emergency Management Bureau: Develop a plan in coordination with beach cities to standardize tsunami maps for the entire Orange County coast. . 13 . R-2a. All beach cities and the County on behalf of Sunset Beach: Replace all sma1l and medium sized tsunami signs with the largest tsunami signs authorized by Caltrans. R-2b. All beach cities and the County on behalf of Sunset Beach: Post the largest tsunami hazard zone signs visible to inbound traffic on major roads and on Pacific Coast Highway if tsunami hazard signs are not already posted there. R-3. The cities of Huntington Beach and Newport Beach: Establish a means of informing non-resident visitors what the sirens mean and what visitors should do when the sirens sound. R-4. All beach cities and the Sheriff Department's Emergency Management Bmeau: Develop methods to communicate tsunami public education messages to beach visitors. Responses to recommendations R-I. R-2a. R-2b and R-4 are required from: . City Council. City of Newport Beach . County of Orange Sheriff-Coroner . City Council. City of Dana Point . City Council, City of Laguna Beach . City Council. City of Huntington Beach . City Council. City of Seal Beach · City Council. City of San. Clemente . Responses to recommendation R-3 are required from: . City Council. City of Huntington Beach . City Council. City of Newport Beach A response to recommendations R-2a and R-2b is requested from: · OC Infrastructure (formerly the County Resources and Development Management Department) REQUIRED RESPONSES The California Penal Code specifies the required permissible responses to the findings and recommendations contained in this report. The specific sections are quoted below: ~933.05(a) For purposes of subdivision (b) of Section 933, as to each grand jury finding. the responding person or entity sJ:I:all indicate one of the following: (1) The respondent agrees with the finding. (2) The respondent disagrees wholly or partially with the finding, in which case the response shall specify the portion of the finding that is disputed and shall include an explanation of the reasons therefore. . 14 (b) For purposes of subdivision (b) of Section 933, as to each grand jury recommendation, the responding person or entity shall report one of the following actions: . (1) The recommendation has been implemented, with a summary regarding the implemented action. (2) The recommendation has not yet been implemented, but will be implemented in the future, with a timeframe for implementation. (3) The recommendation requires further analysis, with an explanation and the scope and parameters of an analysis or study, and a timeframe for the matter to be prepared for discussion by the officer or head of the agency or department being investigated or reviewed, including the governing body of the public agency when applicable. This timeframe shall not exceed six months from the date of publication of the grand jury report (4) The recommendation will not be implemented because it is not warranted or is not reasonable, with an explanation therefore. . . 15 California Penal Code Sections 6933 and 6933.05 . . [Note: to reduce grand jury requests for additional response information, the.grand jury has bolded those words in ~933.05 which should be appropriately included in a response] ~933 (a) Each grand jury shall submit to the presiding judge of the superior court a final report of its findings and recommendations that pertain to county government matters during the fiscal or calendar year. Final reports on any appropriate subject may be submitted to the presiding judge of the superior court at any time during the term of service of a grand jury. A final report may be submitted for comment to responsible officers, agencies, or departments, including the county board of supervisors, when applicable, upon finding of the presiding judge that the report is in compliance with this title. For 4S days after the end of the term, the foreperson and his or her designees shall, upon reasonable notice, be available to clarify the recommendations of the report. (b) One copy of each final report, together with the responses thereto, found to be in compliance with this title shall be placed on file with the clerk of the court and remain on file in the office of the clerk. The clerk shall immediately forward a true copy of the report and the responses to the State Archivist who shall retain that report and all responses in pexpetuity. (c) No later than 90 days after the grand jury submits a final report on the operations ofanypubli~ agency subject to its reviewing authority, the governing body of the public agency shall comment to the presiding judge of the superior court on the findings and recommendations pertaining to matters under the control of the governing body, and every elected county officer or agency head for which the grand jury has responsibility purs~t to Section 914.1 shall comment within 60 days to the presiding judge of the superior court, with an information copy sent to the board of supervisors, on the findings and recommendations pertaining to matters under the control of that county officer or agency head and any agency or agencies which that officer or agency head supervises or controls. In any city and county, the mayor shall also comment on the findings and recommendations. All of these comments and reports shall forthwith be submitted to the presiding judge of the superior court who impaneled the grandjury. A copy of all responses to grand jury reports shall be placed on file with the clerk of the public agency and the office of the county clerk, or the mayor when applicable, and shall remain on file in those offices. One copy shall be placed on file with the applicable grand jury final report by, and in the control of the currently impaneled grand jury, where it shall be maintained for a U1;niml1m offive years. (d) As used in this section "agency" includes a department. . ~933.05 (a) For purposes of subdivision (b) of Section 933, as to each grand jury finding, the responding person or entity shall indicate one of the following: (1) The respondent agrees with the finding. (2) The respondent disagrees wholly or partially with the finding, in which case the response shall specify the portion of the finding that is disputed and shall include an explanation of the reasons therefor. (b) For purposes of subdivision (b) of Section 933, as to each grand jury recommendation, the responding person or entity shall report one of the following actions: (1) The recommendation has been implemented, with a summary regarding the implemented action. (2) The recommendation has not yet been implemented, but wUl be implemented in the future, with a timeframe for implementation. (3) The recommendation requires further analysis, with an explanation and the scope and parameters of an analysis or study, and a timeframe for the matter to be prepared for discussion by the officer or head of the agency or department being investigated or reviewed, including the governing body of the public agency when applicable. This timeframe shall not exceed six months from the date of publication of the grand jury report. (4) The recommendation will not be implemented because it is not wananted or is not reasonable, with an explanation therefor. (c) However, ifa finding or recommendation of the grand jury addresses budgetary Dr personnel . matters of a county agency Dr department headed by an elected officer, both the agency or department head and the board of supervisors shall respond if requested by the grand jury, but the response of the board of supervisors shall address only those budgetary Dr personnel matters over which it has some decision making authority. The response of the elected agency Dr department head shall address all aspects of the fintf;n~ Dr recommendations affecting his or her agency or department. (d) A grand jury may request a subject person or entity to come before the grand jury for the pmpose of reading and discussing the findings of the grand jury report that relates to that person or entity in order to verify the accmacy of the findings prior to their release. (e) During an investigation, the grand jury shall meet with the subject of that investigation regarding the investigation, unless the court, either on its own determination or upon request of the foreperson of the grandjury, determines that such a meeting would be detrimental. (f) A grand jury shall provide to the affected agency a copy of the portion of the grand jury report relating to that person or entity two working days prior to its public release and after the approval of the presiding judge. No officer, agency, department, Dr governing body of a public agency shall disclose any contents of the report prior to the public release of the final report. . . May 12, 2008 Nancy Wieben-Stock, Presiding Judge Orange County Superior Court 700 Civic Center Drive West Santa Ana, CA 92701 Re.: Mayor's Response to Grand Jury Report: "PARADISE LOST: If a Tsunami Strikes the Orange County Riviera..." . Dear Judge Wieben-Stock: My office, that of the City of Seal Beach Mayor, received the Orange County Grand Jury report, "PARADISE LOST: If a Tsunami Strikes the Orange County Riviera..." The Seal Beach Police Department serves as the primary agency for the City of Seal Beach (City), charged with disaster preparedness preparations. Based upon the requests detailed in the report, I have compiled responses pursuant to California Penal Code Sections ~933 and ~933.05 to Findings F-1, F-2, and F-4 as well as Recommendations R-1, R2-a, R-2b, and R-4. RESPONSE TO FINDINGS and RECOMMENDATIONS: Finding-1. "The Sheriff Department's existing tsunami inundation maps are inconsistent with those used by the two largest coastal cities, appear to minimize the threat and could contribute to misinformed decision-making during a crisis. " Recommendation-1. "The Sheriff Department's Emergency management Bureau: Develop a plan in coordination with beach cities to standardize tsunami maps for the entire Orange County coast. " I agree with the Grand Jury's finding and support the development of a standardized tsunami inundation map for the entire Orange County coast. This recommendation's implementation will occur as coordinated by and in conjunction with the agency charged with implementation, the Orange County Sheriff's Department's Emergency Management Bureau (OCSD's EMB). The Seal Beach Police Department, acting as this City's responsible agency for disaster preparedness, is committed to supporting the OCSD's EMB in any way possible within the limits of our resources. . Findlng-2. "Existing tsunami signs along roadways are small, difficult to read and, in at least one city, not visible to visitors driving into the tsunami hazard zone. " Recommendation-2a. "AII beach cities and the County on behalf of Sunset Beach: Replace a/I small and medium sized tsunami signs with the largest tsunami signs authorized by Caltrans. " Recommendatlon-2b. "AII beach cities and the County on behalf of Sunset Beach: Post the largest tsunami hazard zone signs visible to inbound traffic on major roads and on Pacific Coast Highway if tsunami hazard signs are not already posted there." Response to Orange County Grand Jury Report Page 2 I partially disagree with the Grand Jury's finding. The City, in the wake of the June 14, 2005 tsunami . warning, entered into a series of implementations to better prepare its publics to respond to tsunami and other threats. Included in those implementations was an effort to comply with and meet the standards established by the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) and National Weather Service's (NWS) Storm Ready and TsunamiReady public awareness programs. An element of these programs included signage posted to beach community entrances and within beach communities directing beach visitors and residents away from the threat. The City followed the FEMA and NWS program guidelines (no other guidelines existed at the time), and budgeted for, acquired, and installed "approved" signage, consistent with equivalent signage in other Orange County beach communities at the time. Both FEMAlNWS and CalTrans approved the signage. The NWS awarded the City full certification for complete compliance with all guidelines required for completion of their TsunamiReady program at the March 10, 2008 City Council Meeting. With the exception of Sunset Beach (OC unincorporated area), the City has the shortest beach in the entire county (2.0 miles according to the Grand Jury's report). Nonetheless, the City posted 66 warning or directional signs in its beach area and on roadways leading down to and through the beach neighborhoods and Pacific Coast Highway. Evaluated another way, this means Seal Beach posted 33 signs per mile of beach - 66% more signage than any other beach community in the county! According to the Grand Jury's report, the signs we posted are the smallest of the three sizes available. The City purchased and installed approved signage in compliance with known, contemporary, requirements. It will not replace those signs with larger signs until the existing signs become damaged or stolen. At that time, replacement signage mav include the largest sign age dependent on available resources. Finding-4. "Public education directed at beach visitors is inadequate, making them the least prepared . and highest at-risk population in the event of a tsunami. " Recommendation-4: "All beach cities and the Sheriff Department's Emergency Management Bureau: Develop methods to communicate tsunami public education messages to beach visitors. " I agree with the finding. We will develop and execute continuous educational messaging to beach visitors, potentially including educational signage in beach parking lots, website informational postings, SB Visitor Bureau pamphleting, etc. As mentioned above, after the 2005 tsunami warning, the City took an aggressive approach to disaster preparedness and over the last three years has demonstrated its commitment by way of the following examples. However, the City's efforts will not stop with the items bulleted below: · Added website links on the City's website (www.seal-beach.ca.us) to professionally recognized educational and informational disaster preparedness sites, including those addressing tsunamis. · Added in-house preparedness pages to the City's website, addressing a multitude of hazards, in addition to and including tsunami's. · Used the City's cable-television bulletin board to post educational information to the local cable community. · Hired a state recognized, professional disaster preparedness consultant to overhaul and update its existing Emergency Operations Plan. The Plan is now updated every two years. · : Developed a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) of community volunteers currently numbering approximately 50 people. These volunteers were trained to FEMA and USFirstGov . standards including those of the Incident Command System (ICS), Standardized Emergency GRAND JURY MAYOR'S RESPONSE - Tsunami - Paradise Lost. If A Tsunami Strike the OC Riviera . . . Response to Orange County Grand Jury Report Page 3 Management System (SEMS), and the National Incident Management System (NIMS), light search and rescue, first-aid, and cardio-pulmonary rescue (CPR). o Then embracing the concept that disasters, like crime, fail to recognize community borders, we enlisted the west-county-border cities of Los Alamitos, Cypress, La Palma, Buena Park, and Westminster to develop similar CERT programs. Once done, we rolled all six cities' CERT volunteers under the common organizational umbrella of the West Orange County CERT - the first of its kind regionally and nationally. This cooperative West OC CERT now has approximately 250 volunteers for use in any community needing trained and indemnified disaster worker personnel. . We expanded our previous Senior Volunteer Program and renamed it to comply with the federal Volunteers in Policing program, lowering the entrance age and generating further indemnification for the involved personnel and the City. These 65 volunteers are cross-trained in CERT techniques and available in addition to our CERT volunteers. . We used Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and FEMA grant monies to acquire a fully- equipped 4x4 crew-cab, heavy duty pick-up truck, and a 22' box trailer to haul disaster.equipment to locations in need. o The equipment includes hand tools, personal safety equipment, lighting, generators, etc. . We used DHS Urban Area Security Initiative grant monies, pooled with the Cities of Los Alamitos and Cypress to design and purchase a state-of-the-art, 40' long mobile command post for use in a variety of incidents, including natural and man-made disasters. . Using California Law Enforcement Equipment Program (CLEEP) grant monies, we upgraded the City's Emergency Operations Center located in the police headquarters building. . Upgraded previously purchased and deployed a mass-call communication system (Reverse9-1-1) to communicate with our publics. (We used this system to warn our publics in the potential known inundation zones on June 14, 2008, and continue to use it for law enforcement and emergency incidents.) . Lastly, the City approved and budgeted for an additional person to its overall employee roster. It hired a trained, certified, and experienced Emergency Services Manager. His role is to design and coordinate all current and future, disaster preparedness programs within our community. I appreciate the time spent by the 2007-2008 Orange County Grand Jury examining Orange County's tsunami readiness and look forward to an enhanced, united, and collaborative disaster preparedness system for our citizens and community. Sincerely, CHARLESJ.ANTOS,MAYOR CITY OF SEAL BEACH GRAND JURY MAYOR'S RESPONSE - Tsunaml- Paradise Lost -If A Tsunami Strike the OC Riviera May 12, 2008 Nancy Wieben-Stock, Presiding Judge Orange County Superior Court 700 Civic Center Drive West Santa Ana, CA 92701 Re.: City Council's Response to Grand Jury Report: "PARADISE LOST: If a Tsunami Strikes the Orange County Riviera.....' . Dear Judge Wieben-Stock: The office of the City of Seal Beach City Council has received the Orange County Grand Jury report, "PARADISE LOST: If a Tsunami Strikes the Orange County Riviera..." The Seal Beach Police Department serves as the primary agency for the City of Seal Beach (City), charged with disaster preparedness preparations. Based upon the requests detailed in the report, we have compiled responses pursuant to California Penal Code Sections ~933 and ~933.05 to Findings F-1, F-2, and F-4 as well as Recommendations R-1, R2-a, R-2b, and R-4. RESPONSE TO FINDINGS and RECOMMENDATIONS: Flndlng-1. "The Sheriff Department's existing tsunami inundation maps are inconsistent with those used by the two largest coastal cities, appear to minimize the threat and could contribute to misinformed decision-making during a crisis. II Recommendatlon-1. "The Sheriff Department's Emergency management Bureau: Develop a plan in coordination with beach cities to standardize tsunami maps for the entire Orange County coast." We agree with the Grand Jury's finding and support the development of a standardized tsunami inundation map for the entire Orange County coast. This recommendation's implementation will occur as coordinated by and in conjunction with the agency charged with implementation, the Orange County Sheriff's Departmenfs Emergency Management Bureau (OCSD's EMB). The Seal Beach Police Department, acting as this City's responsible agency for disaster preparedness, is committed to supporting the OCSD's EMB in any way possible within the limits of our resources. . Flndlng-2. II Existing tsunami signs along roadways are small, difficult to read and, in at least one city, not visible to visitors driving into the tsunami hazard zone. II Recommendation-2a. "All beach cities and the County on behalf of Sunset Beach: Replace all small and medium sized tsunami signs with the largest tsunami signs authorized by Caltrans. II Recommendatlon-2b. "All beach cities and the County on behaff of Sunset Beach: Post the largest tsunami hazard zone signs visible to inbound traffic on major roads and on Pacific Coast Highway if tsunami hazard signs are not already posted there. II Response to Orange County Grand Jury Report Page 2 We partially disagree with the Grand Jury's finding. The City, in the wake of the June 14, 2005 tsunami . warning, entered into a series of implementations to better prepare its publics to respond to tsunami and other threats. Included in those implementations was an effort to comply with and meet the standards established by the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) and National Weather Service's (NWS) Storm Ready and TsunamiReady public awareness programs. An element of these programs included signage posted to beach community entrances and within beach communities directing beach visitors and residents away from the threat. The City followed the FEMA and NWS program guidelines (no other guidennes existed at the time), and budgeted for, acquired, and installed "approved" signage, consistent with equivalent signage in other Orange County beach communities at the time. Both FEMAlNWS and CalTrans approved the signage. The NWS awarded the City full certification for complete compliance with all guidelines required for completion of their TsunamiReady program at the March 10, 2008 City Council Meeting. With the exception of Sunset Beach (OC unincorporated area), the City has the shortest beach in the entire county (2.0 miles according to the Grand Jury's report). Nonetheless, the City posted 66 warning or directional signs in its beach area and on roadways leading down to and through the beach neighborhoods and Pacific Coast Highway. Evaluated another way, this means Seal Beach posted 33 signs per mile of beach - 66% more signage than any other beach community in the county! According to the Grand Jury's report, the signs we posted are the smallest of the three sizes available. The City purchased and installed approved signage in compliance with known, contemporary, requirements. It will not replace those signs with larger signs until the existing signs become damaged or stolen. At that time, replacement signage mav include the largest signage dependent on available resources. Finding-4. "Public education directed at beach visitors is inadequate, making them the least prepared . and highest at-risk population in the event of a tsunami. " Recommendation-4: "All beach cities and the Sheriff Department's Emergency Management Bureau: Develop methods to communicate tsunami public education messages to beach visitors. " We agree with the finding and will develop and execute continuous educational messaging to beach visitors, potentially including educational signage in beach parking lots, website informational postings, SB Visitor Bureau pamphleting, etc. As mentioned above, after the 2005 tsunami warning, the City took an aggressive approach to disaster preparedness and over the last three years has demonstrated its commitment by way of the following examples. However, the City's efforts will not stop with the items bulleted below: · Added website links on the City's website (www.seal-beach.ca.us) to professionally recognized educational and informational disaster preparedness sites, including those addressing tsunamis. · Added in-house preparedness pages to the City's website, addressing a multitude of hazards, in addition to and including tsunami's. · Used the City's cable-television bulletin board to post educational information to the local cable community. · Hired a state recognized, professional disaster preparedness consultant to overhaul and update its existing Emergency Operations Plan. The Plan is now updated every two years. · . Developed a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) of community volunteers currently . numbering approximately 50 people. These volunteers were trained to FEMA and USFirstGov . standards including those of the Incident Command System (ICS), Standardized Emergency GRAND JURY CITY COUNCIL'S RESPONSE - Tsunami - Paradise Lost - If A Tsunami Strike the OC Riviera . . . Response to Orange County Grand Jury Report Page 3 Management System (SEMS), and the National Incident Management System (NIMS), light search and rescue, first-aid, and cardio-pulmonary rescue (CPR). o Then embracing the concept that disasters, like crime, fail to recognize community borders, we enlisted the west-county-border cities of Los Alamitos, Cypress, La Palma, Buena Park, and Westminster to develop similar CERT programs. Once done, we rolled all six cities' CERT volunteers under the common organizational umbrella of the West Orange County CERT - the first of its kind regionally and nationally. This cooperative West OC CERT now has "approximately 250 volunteers for use in any community needing trained and indemnified disaster worker personnel. . We expanded our previous Senior Volunteer Program and renamed it to comply with the federal Volunteers in Policing program, lowering the entrance age and generating further indemnification for the involved personnel and the City. These 65 volunteers are cross-trained in CERT techniques and available in addition to our CERT volunteers. . We used Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and FEMA grant monies to acquire a fully- equipped 4x4 crew-cab, heavy duty pick-up truck, and a 22' box trailer to haul disaster equipment to locations in need. o The equipment includes hand tools, personal safety equipment, lighting, generators, etc. . We used DHS Urban Area Security Initiative grant. monies, pooled with the Cities of Los Alamitos and Cypress to design and purchase a state-of-the-art, 40' long mobile command post for use in a variety of incidents, including natural and man-made disasters. . Using California Law Enforcement Equipment Program (CLEEP) grant monies, we upgraded the City's Emergency Operations Center located in the police headquarters building. . Upgraded previously purchased and deployed a mass-call communication system (Reverse9-1-1) to communicate with our publics. (We used this system to warn our publics in the potential known inundation zones on June 14, 2008, and continue to use it for law enforcement and emergency incidents.) . Lastly, the City approved and budgeted for an additional person to its overall employee roster. It hired a trained, certified, and experienced Emergency Services Manager. His role is to design and coordinate all current and future, disaster preparedness programs within our community. We appreciate the time spent by the 2007-2008 Orange County Grand Jury examining Orange County's tsunami readiness and look forward to an enhanced, united, and collaborative disaster preparedness system for our citizens and community. Sincerely, MAYOR CHARLES J. ANTOS SEAL BEACH CITY COUNCIL MAYOR PRO TEM MICHAEL P. LEVITT SEAL BEACH CITY COUNCIL COUNCIL PERSON GORDON A. SHANKS SEAL BEACH CITY COUNCIL COUNCIL PERSON DAVID W. SLOAN SEAL BEACH CITY COUNCIL COUNCIL PERSON GARY MILLER SEAL BEACH CITY COUNCIL GRAND JURY CITY COUNCIL'S RESPONSE - Tsunami - Paradise Lost - If A Tsunami Strike the OC Riviera April 29, 2008 Nancy Wieben-Stock, Presiding Judge Orange County Superior Court 700 Civic Center Drive West Santa Ana, CA 92701 Re.: Agency Head's Response to Grand Jury Report: "PARADISE LOST: If a Tsunami Strikes the Orange County Riviera..." Dear Judge Wieben-Stock: . My office received the Orange County Grand Jury report, "PARADISE LOST: If a Tsunami Strikes the Orange County Riviera...". The Seal Beach Police Department serves as the primary agency for the City of Seal Beach (City), charged with disaster preparedness preparations. Based upon the requests detailed in the report, I have compiled responses pursuant to California Penal Code Sections ~933 and ~933.05 to Findings F-1, F-2, and F-4 as well as Recommendations R-1, R2-a, R-2b, and R-4. RESPONSE TO FINDINGS and RECOMMENDATIONS: Finding-1. "The Sheriff Department's existing tsunami inundation maps are inconsistent with those used by the two largest coastal cities, appear to minimize the threat and could contribute to misinformed decision-making during a crisis. II Recommendation-1. liThe Sheriff Department's Emergency management Bureau: Develop a plan in coordination with beach cities to standardize tsunami maps for the entire Orange County coast. " We agree with the Grand Jury's finding and support the development of a standardized tsunami inundation map for the entire Orange County coast. This recommendation's implementation will occur as coordinated by and in conjunction with the agency charged with implementation, the Orange County Sheriff's Department's Emergency Management Bureau (OCSD's EMB). The Seal Beach Police Department, acting as this City's responsible agency for disaster preparedness, is committed to supporting the OCSD's EMB in any way possible within the limits of our resources. . Finding-2. II Existing tsunami signs along roadways are small, difficult to read and, in at least one city, not visible to visitors driving into the tsunami hazard zone. II Recommendation-2a. "All beach cities and the County on behalf of Sunset Beach: Replace all small and medium sized tsunami signs with the largest tsunami signs authorized by Caltrans. II Recommendation-2b. "All beach cities and the County on behalf of Sunset Beach: Post the largest tsunami..hazard zone signs visible to inbound traffic on major roads and on Pacific Coast Highway if tsunami hazard signs are not already posted there. II Response to Orange County Grand Jury Report Page 2 We partially disagree with the Grand Jury's finding. The City, in the wake of the June 14, 2005 tsunami . warning, entered into a series of implementations to better prepare its publics to respond to tsunami and other threats. Included in those implementations was an effort to comply with and meet the standards established by the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) and National Weather Service's (NWS) Storm Ready and TsunamiReady public awareness programs. An element of these programs included signage posted to beach community entrances and within beach communities directing beach visitors and residents away from the threat. The City followed the FEMA and NWS program guidelines (no other guidelines existed at the time), and budgeted for, acquired, and installed "approved" signage, consistent with equivalent signage in other Orange County beach communities at the time. Both FEMAlNWS and CalTrans approved the signage. The NWS awarded the City full certification for complete compliance with all guidelines required for completion of their TsunamiReady program at the March 10, 2008 City Council Meeting. With the exception of Sunset Beach (OC unincorporated area) the City has the shortest beach in the entire county (2.0 miles according to the Grand Jury's report). Nonetheless, the City posted 66 warning or directional signs in its beach area and on roadways leading down to and through the beach neighborhoods and Pacific Coast Highway. Evaluated another way, this means Seal Beach posted 33 signs per mile of beach - 66% more signage than any other beach community in the county! According to the Grand Jury's report, the signs we posted are the smallest of the three sizes available. The City purchased and installed approved signage in compliance with known, contemporary, requirements. It will not replace those signs with larger signs until the existing signs become damaged or stolen. At that time, replacement signage mav include the largest signage dependent on available resources. Finding-4. "Public education directed at beach visitors is inadequate, making them the least prepared . and highest at-risk population in the event of a tsunami. II Recommendation-4: "All beach cities and the Sheriff Department's Emergency Management Bureau: Develop methods to communicate tsunami public education messages to beach visitors. II The City agrees with the finding and will develop and execute continuous educational messaging to beach visitors, potentially including educational signage in beach parking lots, website informational postings, SB Visitor Bureau pamphleting, etc. As mentioned above, after the 2005 tsunami warning, the City took an aggressive approach to disaster preparedness and over the following three years has demonstrated its commitment by way of the following examples. However, the City's efforts will not stop with the items bulleted below: · Added website links on the City's website (www.seal-beach.ca.us) to professionally recognized educational and informational disaster preparedness sites, including those addressing tsunami's. · Added in-house preparedness pages to the City's website, addressing a multitude of hazards, in addition to and including tsunami's. . · Used the City's cable-television bulletin board to post educational information to the local cable community. · Hired a state recognized, professional disaster preparedness consultant to overhaul and update its existing Emergency Operations Plan. The Plan is now updated every two years. · Developed a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) of community volunteers currently . numbering approximately 50 people. These volunteers were trained to FEMA and USFirstGov . standards including those of the Incident Command System (ICS), Standardized Emergency . Management System (SEMS), and the National Incident Management System (NIMS), light search and rescue, first-aid, and cardio-pulmonary rescue (CPR). GRAND JURY coP's RESPONSE - Tsunami - Paradise Lost - If A Tsunami Strike the OC Riviera . . . Response to Orange County Grand Jury Report Page 3 o Then embracing the concept that disasters, like crime, fail to recognize community borders, we enlisted the west-county-border cities of Los Alamitos, Cypress, La Palma, Buena Park, and Westminster to develop similar CERT programs. Once done, we rolled all six cities' CERT volunteers under the common organizational umbrella of the West Orange County CERT - the first of its kind regionally and nationally. This cooperative West OC CERT now has approximately 250 volunteers for use in any community needing trained and indemnified disaster worker personnel. . We expanded our previous Senior Volunteer Program and renamed it to comply with the federal Volunteers in Policing program. These 65 volunteers are cross-trained in CERT techniques and available in addition to our CERT volunteers. . We used Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and FEMA grant monies to acquire a fully- equipped 4x4 crew-cab, heavy duty pick-up truck, and a 22' box trailer to haul disaster equipment to locations in need. o The equipment includes hand tools, personal safety equipment, lighting, generators, etc. . We used DHS Urban Area Security Initiative grant monies, pooled with the Cities of Los Alamitos and Cypress to design and purchase a state-of-the-art, 40' long mobile command post for use in a variety of incidents, including natural and man-made disasters. . Using California Law Enforcement Equipment Program (CLEEP) grant monies, we upgraded the City's Emergency Operations Center located in the police headquarters building. . Upgraded previously purchased and deployed a mass-call communication system (Reverse9-1-1) to communicate with our publics. (We used this system to warn our publics in the potential known inundation zones on June 14, 2008, and continue to use it for law enforcement and emergency incidents.) . Lastly, the City approved and budgeted for an additional person to its overall employee roster. It hired a trained, certified, and experienced Emergency Services Manager. His role is to design and coordinate all current and future, disaster preparedness programs within our community. We appreciate the time spent by the Orange County Grand Jury examining Orange County's tsunami readiness and look forward to an enhanced, united, and collaborative disaster preparedness system for our citizens and community. F KIRKPATRICK II' CHIEF OF POLICE GRAND JURY coP's RESPONSE - Tsunami - Paradise Lost - If A Tsunami Strike the OC Riviera