Experts at Oregon State University in Corvallis are currently working with state and federal officials and Cannon Beach residents to create a new city hall. The building is planned to be the first structure in the country to be built specifically to survive the force of a tsunami.
Large earthquakes occur every 220 to 525 years in the Cascadia Subduction Zone off the coast of Oregon, Washington and northern California, resulting in tsunamis. An updated study by the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries recently doubled the tsunami hazard area in Cannon Beach, including almost all of the city’s commercial areas.
According to Harry Yeh, professor of coastal and ocean engineering at OSU, strong, reinforced concrete buildings can often survive a tsunami, as was evident during a tsunami in Indonesia in 2004. Tsunami-resistant buildings would need deep foundations to withstand a major earthquake, stand at least two stories high, incorporate barrier walls to help reduce wave forces, have a roof available for emergency evacuations, and other requirements.
Cannon Beach resident and architect Jay Raskin has organized a design team for the project that includes university, state, federal and private industry experts.
A two-day workshop will be held Sept. 28 and 29 to further explore plans for Cannon Beach City Hall