Lahars: Preparing for Volcanic Landslides Applying Geoscience to Public Safety Jeff Rubin, Emergency Manager Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue Tigard, Oregon
Why does this matter? � Life safety � Critical infrastructure � Transportation: road, rail, river � Water: Bull Run � Environmental: Columbia and Deschutes Rivers, forest � Economic: homes, businesses, access, agriculture � Social fabric
How can we apply the science? � Defining hazard and impact � Identifying population at risk � Assessing strategies to address risk � Communicating with public and decision-makers
(USGS, 2000)
Who’s at risk? (USGS: Mathie &Wood, 2013)
Who’s at risk? (USGS: Mathie &Wood, 2013)
Mt. Hood lahar property losses (PSU: Chappell, Dettlaff, Utz, 2009)
Basic risk-reduction strategies (Pierson, Wood, Driedger, 2014)
Communicating the science � Essential for informed decision- making, community buy-in � Land use � Hazard education � Warning � Difficult to grasp low-frequency, high-impact events � We tend to focus on what’s right in front of us
Communicating the science Decision-makers Scientists
Communicating the risk � Technology matters � Mapping � Monitoring � Warning � More than “just the facts” � What does a warning mean? � Social science: risk perception � Uncommon measures vs. daily routine
Jeff Rubin, PhD, CEM Emergency Manager Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue jeff.rubin@tvfr.com www.tvfr.com
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