AN EVALUATION OF INFRASTRUCTURE FOR TSUNAMI EVACUATION IN PADANG, WEST SUMATRA, INDONESIA

Cedillos, V and Canney, N and Deierlein, G and Henderson, S and Ismail, F and Syukri, A and Toth, J and Wood, K AN EVALUATION OF INFRASTRUCTURE FOR TSUNAMI EVACUATION IN PADANG, WEST SUMATRA, INDONESIA. Proceedings of the 9th U.S. National and 10th Canadian Conference on Earthquake Engineering.

Preview

Text An_Evaluation_of_Infrastructure_for_Tsun.pdf Download (3MB) | Preview

Abstract

Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia is considered to have one of the highest tsunami risks in the world. Currently, the strategy to prepare for a tsunami in Padang is focused on developing early warning systems, planning evacuation routes, conducting evacuation drills, and educating the public about its tsunami risk. Although these are all necessary efforts, they are not sufficient. Padang is located so close to the Sunda Trench and has such flat terrain that a large portion of its populace will not be able to reach safe ground in the interval—less than 30 minutes—between the time the earthquake shaking stops and the tsunami arrives at the shore. It is estimated that over 100,000 inhabitants of Padang will be unable to evacuate in that time, even if they head for safe ground immediately following the earthquake. Given these circumstances, other means to prepare for the expected tsunami must be developed. With this motivation, GeoHazards International and Stanford University partnered with Indonesian organizations— Andalas University in Padang, the Laboratory for Earth Hazards (LIPI), and the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP)—in an effort to evaluate the need for and feasibility of developing Padang’s tsunami evacuation infrastructure. This project team designed and conducted a course at Stanford University, undertook several field investigations in Padang, and participated in a reconnaissance trip following the September 30, 2009 earthquake. The team concluded that: 1) the tsunami-generating earthquake is still a threat, despite the recent M7.6 earthquake; 2) Padang’s tsunami evacuation capacity is currently inadequate, and evacuation structures need to be implemented as part of an effective evacuation plan; 3) it is likely that previous estimates of the number of people unable to evacuate in time are grossly low; and 4) a more engineering-based approach is

Actions (login required)

View Item