Navarre Beach to get Tsunami-Ready

The chance of a tsunami hitting the Gulf Coast may be slim — but if it ever happens, Navarre Beach will be ready

Santa Rosa County is taking steps to become a tsunami-ready county, which will not only better prepare the beach for the potential emergency, but also bring the county one step closer to lowering flood insurance rates for residents.

The certification requires new signage on Navarre Beach, which will be placed at each of the 12 walkovers to inform beachgoers of the warning signs and what to do in the event of a tsunami.

Though the likelihood of a tsunami is still low, Santa Rosa County Emergency Management Plans Chief Daniel Hahn said data recently shared by the U.S. Geological Service shows that the threat exists for the Navarre Beach area.

“The new threat from the U.S. Geological Service is the threat of underwater landslides from cliffs under the sea,” Hahn said. “Where before, we were worried about three feet of water, now we’re worried about 14 feet of water based on the projections they’ve given us from their modeling software.”

Hahn said the signs aren’t meant to alarm anyone, but will provide locals and tourists with pertinent information about how to respond if a tsunami occurs. Through the new signage, Hahn said Santa Rosa County Emergency Management also will map out Navarre Beach with a numerical system, allowing visitors to pinpoint their exact location when calling 911.

“Our dispatchers will be able to dispatch exactly what they need to that location, and it’s just a better way of being able to provide service to anyone who calls,” Hahn said.

Hahn said he expects the new signs to be placed sometime in January, with the county receiving its tsunami-ready certification by February.

The certification will give Santa Rosa County 30 points toward its Community Rating System with the National Flood Insurance Program, a voluntary program recognizing floodplain management by reducing the cost of flood insurance premiums by 5 to 45 percent.

Santa Rosa County is at level 5 in the CRS, which gives residents in flood zones a 25 percent discount on flood insurance, said Karen Thornhill, the county’s floodplain manager.

The county had about 2,700 points as of the last review in 2012, Thornhill said, with 3,000 required to move to the next level and increase the insurance discount to 30 percent.

“The more points that we get, the better the discount,” Thornhill said, adding that the county is diligent with documenting their efforts, which benefits residents. "And that’s just one tiny little piece of the pie, but it’s an additional 30 points we didn’t have before.”

Santa Rosa County Emergency Management created a county-specific tsunami and rogue-wave evacuation plan about five years ago, outlining evacuation procedures for the Navarre Beach area in coordination with emergency management, law enforcement and other agencies.

Hahn said the county never put up the signage for the official tsunami-ready title, but he hopes the addition will benefit residents and visitors by keeping them informed and prepared.

“It puts them at ease that we are concerned about the safety of the people that are here,” Hahn said. “It will assist in responding to any 911 calls on the beach, which saves time. And time is life.”

Source: Pensacola News Journal

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• Disaster Risk Reduction
• Disasters & Risks
• Disaster Preparedness