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Wave all talk but no planning

To the Editor,

Repeated calls have been made via the media to establish a warning and evacuation plan to cope with the next tsunami that roars up the Alberni Inlet.

But so far, even after the Japanese disaster, there have been no guidelines issued which provide clear instruction for safe evacuation of thousands of Alberni residents from the flood plains.

The only specific order to those in low lying areas is “take to the high ground”. But no particular place in the “high ground” is designated as a safe haven.

Assuming that the emergency sirens are triggered in time, the people situated in the huge flood plain could go to the Echo Centre at 10th Avenue and Wallace Street to register and be directed to one of a number of the nearby large structures such as the new Alberni Athletic Hall, the skating rinks, Glenwood Centre and a number of other large buildings. All of them situated on a large, flat plain capable of parking hundreds of vehicles and landing spots for helicopter traffic.

Emergency planning groups, probably with no shortage of volunteers, could co-ordinate the whole process using facilities in Echo Centre.

Harold Hamilton,

Port Alberni