A new mural project in Newport, Oregon, led by artist Emy Daniels, will engage Latinx youth to express their connection to their community and raise awareness of coastal hazards. The youth group will collaborate to create motifs, symbols, and imagery that reflect their thoughts and experiences, emphasizing their bond with the place they live. The mural will be produced using both traditional materials and digital techniques and the youth will create the art themselves. The group will choose a location significant to their community, with final approval sought from the city.

Dr. Felicia Olmeta Schult (PI, OR Sea Grant), Emma Gleeman (Co-PI, OSU Graduate student), Emy Daniels (Lead Artist, Hatfield Marine Science Center)

This project aims to create inclusive evacuation maps for the diverse residents of coastal communities. While state and local agencies have developed earthquake/ tsunami evacuation maps for the Oregon coast, there is a gap in creating multi-hazard maps that are clear and accessible to everyone. Traditional approaches have focused on technical expert designs, often overlooking how the public will use these maps in emergencies. Using iterative map design and the “wise practices” for inclusive hazard awareness, this project offers a unique opportunity to leverage existing internal draft maps – developed by community partners – to co-develop multi-hazard evacuation map prototypes for coastal community members that are simultaneously inclusive of a diversity of lived experiences and utilize cutting-edge cartographic principles for emergency maps in both print and digital formats.

Dr. Jenna Tilt (PI, OSU), Dr. Jim Thatcher (co-PI, OSU), Michael Howard (co-PI, UO), Amanda Ferguson (co-PI, UO)

Coastal Washington is expected to see half a foot of sea level rise in the next 30 years, increasing the need for effective resilience and hazard mitigation strategies. Our team is using advanced modeling to study past and present flooding in Grays Harbor and Willapa Bay, aiming to predict future flood risks under changing climate conditions. To improve accuracy, this project will validate the existing model with flood data from NASA’s Dynamic Surface Water Extent product during storms. Partnering with local communities and organizations, the team will develop a tool to better visualize flood risks, helping with emergency preparedness and hazard mitigation.

Dr. Christie Hegermiller (PI, UW), Dr. Karthik Venkataramani (Postdoc, UW), Ryan Chiu (graduate student, UW), Dr. Sanpisa Sritrairat (WA Sea Grant)

Led by Hub member Dr. Jeffrey Berman, a team will be developing an infrastructure inventory in the Washington Tokland to Taholah  collaboratory. This inventory is necessary to estimate the impacts of hazards (earthquakes, tsunamis, and landslides) on critical infrastructure. Community partners include the Westport Public Works Department and the Washington State Emergency Management Division.

Dr. Jeff Berman (PI, UW), Dr. Nicole Errett (co-PI, UW), Dr. Marc Eberhard (co-PI, UW), Dr. Dan Cox (co-PI, OSU), Dr. Andre Barbosa (co-PI, OSU), Dr. Joe Wartman (co-PI, UW), Addie Lederman (graduate student, UW), Kevin Goodrich (Public works director, town of Westport), Maximilian Dixon (Advisor, WA EMD)

Led by Hub member Dr. Daniel Abramson, this project will pilot a novel K-12 STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics) engagement project. 4 different activities will be integrated into an afterschool program at Ocosta Junior and Senior High School to 1) create a ‘tsunami-eye’ view of pedestrian evacuation simulation to inform community drills; 2) develop virtual reality visuals of future flooding from tsunamis, and sea level rise; 3) envisioning positive action through art, creative writing, and Minecraft and other game-worlds; and 4) building geonarratives with participatory community asset mapping.

Dr. Daniel Abramson (PI, UW), Dr. Loyce Adams (co-PI, UW), Dr. Ann Bostrom (co-PI, UW), Dr. Dan Cox (co-PI, OUS), Dr. Bob Freitag (co-PI, UW), Dr. Lisa Gaines (co-PI, OSU), Frank Gonzalez (co-PI, UW), Carrie Garrison-Laney (WA Sea Grant), Ashli Blow (WA Sea Grant), Kevin Goodrich (Public works director, town of Westport), Rachel Lambert (YMCA site coordinator for Ocosta School District), Ziyan Liu (graduate student, UW), Ian Miller (WA Sea Grant), Andrea Mirante (Grant director Ocosta School District), Heather Sweet (Superintendent of Ocosta School District), Elyssa Tappero (Tsunami program coordinator, WA EMD), Dr. Jenna Tilt (co-PI, OSU), Dr. Haizhong Wang (co-PI, OSU), Mykayla Yankey (site coordinator Ocosta School District)  

Led by Hub member Dr. Haizhong Wang, this project will promote evacuation preparedness through physical reality and virtual reality drills along the Oregon coast. The team will work with coastal households to test the effectiveness of emergency operations plans to help refine household and community evacuation plans. Community partners include the Emergency Volunteer Corps of Nehalem Bay.

Dr. Haizhong Wang (PI, OSU) and Dr. Michael Lindell (co-PI, UW)