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Lane Community College, Eugene, Oregon
Contact: Robert R. Purscelley, Director, Lane Community College at Florence,
(541) 997-8444 ext. 4805
For release April 6, 2005
Tsunami preparedness expert to speak at workshop
The Sumatra Tsunami: Can it Happen Here?
Workshop, May 17, 2005, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Lane Community College at Florence, 3149 Oak Street, Florence, Oregon
FLORENCE, OR - Darci Connor of Seaside is the only full-time employee in Oregon dedicated solely to educating the public about what a tsunami can do. " Seaside is the best prepared, most tsunami-ready community on the Oregon Coast," according to a recent survey conducted by Portland 's KATU-TV News.
Connor is funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to identify an effective outreach program for tsunami preparedness and will speak at a community workshop, "The Sumatra Tsunami: Can It Happen Here?" on Tuesday, May 17, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Florence Events Center. Connor will describe her community's preparations as an example of how Florence can be tsunami-ready.
Connor has a bachelor of science in environmental science and management from the University of Rhode Island. Her professional emphasis is working with communities to understand scientific information and environmental systems.
One of the most important aspects for tsunami preparation is community education, says Conner. "If we educate our entire community on tsunamis and do so on a yearly basis then we are implementing safeguards so that our communities will know how to respond."
Connor tells a story from Southeast Asia of a little girl on a beach who had just taken a class on tsunamis. "She saw the surf go out to sea and instantly knew what was coming," Connors says. "She evacuated that beach. That was one student, on one beach, who saved 100 lives. Imagine what we can do here."
"The Sumatra Tsunami: Can It Happen Here?" is sponsored by Lane Community College at Florence, Port of Siuslaw, Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue, KCST radio, PeaceHealth/Siuslaw Region, and other organizations and individuals.
A $14 registration fee includes lunch and all workshop materials. To register, contact LCC at Florence office at 997-8444.###
