Cordova’s Emergency Services Division has capped off a project in the works for over five years with the receipt of a $36,000 state grant to fund its tsunami siren.
The grant from the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management was awarded on the grant application written and submitted by Cordova Fire Marshall Paul Trumblee.
The city of Cordova was chosen as the top priority by the state over other communities due to Cordova’s extensive community emergency awareness programs over the years, city officials said.
The additional tsunami siren was installed on the Shipyard Lot so residents of Orca Lodge and Fleming Split can hear the warning too. The siren is tested every Wednesday at noon.
Trumblee is now actively seeking another grant to install a tsunami siren that has been in storage for over 15 years. This one would be installed on Whitshed Road, specifically in the low-lying residential area of the Heney Creek drainage.
City officials said in the future that Cordova’s Emergency Management Team will be looking for funds for a tsunami warning system to alert residents of the six-mile Copper River Highway area.
While some say this is not an issue, Tumblee disagrees. “Remember the 2011 Tohoku Japan earthquake and tsunami. A wave 125 feet travelled six to 10 miles inland in some areas. It can happen,” he said.
