Degenkolb Engineers served as a Technical Advisor for Project Safe Haven: Tsunami Vertical Evacuation on the Washington Coast. The project utilized a grassroots process to develop vertical evacuation strategies for several communities in both Grays Harbor and Pacific counties. The Project Safe Haven process included both World Café methods and community design charrettes to allow community member consideration of evacuation options ranging from buildings and towers to raised earthen berms.

Degenkolb provided the team with structural engineering guidance for each evacuation option. These conceptual designs were used to develop cost estimates for future planning purposes. Both the Ocosta School site and Long Beach Elementary were identified as a safe haven location due to the large number of students and staff present during much of the year.

You can read more about Project Safe Haven in the official community reports.

Clallam County: https://mil.wa.gov/uploads/pdf/emergency-management/haz_safehavenreport_clallam.pdf

Grays Harbor: https://mil.wa.gov/uploads/pdf/emergency-management/haz_safehavenreport_graysharbor.pdf

Pacific County: https://mil.wa.gov/uploads/pdf/emergency-management/haz_safehavenreport_pacific.pdf