New online portal, app provide information on tsunami zones in the Northwest

A new suite of online portal and smartphone apps is providing information on tsunami zones in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. The Pacific Northwest Tsunami Evacuation Zones online portal and free apps provide an at-a-glance view of tsunami hazard zones along the coasts of Oregon and Washington.

"These are potentially life-saving tools now accessible for free to the people who live, work and play on our ocean and coastal waters in the Northwest," said Zdenka Willis, U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS®) plan director.

The Northwest Association of Networked Ocean Observing System (NANOOS), a regional IOOS® member, developed the tool and launched it in partnership with the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries and Washington State Department of Natural Resources, agencies responsible for the original development of the evacuation zones.

"The system integrates maps and allows users to see if they are in an evacuation zone, as well as project evacuation routes," said Jan Newton, executive director for NANOOS. "Planning tools like this are essential to safeguarding lives and property."

View the online portal at http://nvs.nanoos.org/tsunami or search TsunamiEvac-NW in the iTunes App Store and Android Market.

IOOS® is a federal, regional, and private-sector partnership working to enhance our ability to collect, deliver and use ocean information. IOOS® delivers the data and information needed to increase understanding of our oceans and coasts, so that decision-makers can act to enhance safety, enhance the economy, and protect our environment.

NOAA's National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Plan provided backing to develop tsunami inundation models used to map the evacuation zones displayed in the app.

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