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Friday, November 5, is World Tsunami Awareness Day. Though tsunamis are less likely to occur than wildfires in California, they are still extremely deadly and 13 of our 58 Counties border the coast – meaning one-fifth of our Counties, maybe more, could be severely impacted if a tsunami occurred. 

Did you know, the word “tsunami” comprises the Japanese words “tsu” (meaning harbour) and “nami” (meaning wave)? Tsunamis are a series of waves created by an underwater disturbance, usually associated with earthquakes occurring below or near the ocean. These rare events can be extremely deadly—in the past 100 years, 58 of them have claimed more than 260,000 lives, or an average of 4,600 per disaster, surpassing any other natural hazard. 

In 2015, the UN General Assembly designated November 5 as World Tsunami Awareness Day. Ambassador Kimihiro Ishikane, Permanent Representative of Japan to the UN, described the significance of the date during last year’s observation.

Ambassador Ishikane explained, “this recent experience reminds us of the importance of raising public awareness of the risk posed by tsunami. It also teaches us the significance of international cooperation to mitigate its impact in all phases of prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery.” 

Ambassador Ishikane continued that Japan will continue to share its expertise and lessons learned while continuing to work closely with countries in need to implement the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. The framework is equally applicable to Tsunamis as any natural disaster and calls for education, preparation, cooperation, and global partnerships for disaster recovery, risk reduction, and mitigation. Watch a video about the framework and efforts to promote tsunami awareness here. More on the history of World Tsunami Awareness Day is available in this recent column in the Eureka Times-Standard. 

In 2018, Rikuzentakata Mayor Futoshi Toba, Chief Executive Office of Rikuzentakata Agency Co. Kiyoshi Murakami, then-Crescent City Mayor Blake Inscore, and Del Norte County Supervisor Chris Howard were invited to attend the United Nation’s tsunami commemoration and make an official speech on the recovery from devastation and the lessons learned in Rikuzentakata following the 2011 tsunami disaster. Murakami credits the County/Sister City relationship for further dissemination of both tsunami awareness and disaster risk reduction worldwide.

There are many allies and resources available to help educate and prepare counties, communities, and citizens about tsunamis and their impact. As Ambassador Ishikane mentioned, public awareness is key in mitigating the impacts of a tsunami.

This is the second blog post in a series highlighting California Counties. In the coming months, learn how California Counties are showcasing the power of international relationships to spur local economic development and education.

Many of us have heard of ‘sister cities’ – broad, long-term partnerships between communities in two countries. For many of these partnerships, a cultural exchange is expected, along with visits, opened lines of communication and educational opportunities, and, like the name entails, a relationship between two cities. However, there can also be city/county ‘sisters’ - which are much more rare, but equally as beneficial and rewarding. In California, there are eight ‘sister city/county’ relationships that have built amazing opportunities and longstanding exchanges between residents and communities. 

More than 250 officials from 53 Counties registered for the first-ever virtual CSAC Legislative Conference last week. While there are glimmers of light starting to indicate the end of the COVID-19 tunnel, the virtual meeting format was chosen for safety and maximum participation across the state.

With a willingness to make a difference, Placer County prioritized helping its small businesses  and nonprofits make it through the pandemic. Through sharing emergency federal funding and partnering with nonprofit and private sectors, Placer was able to respond quickly to emerging needs.

As COVID-19 cases began to explode regionally, nationally and globally in early 2020, many California counties began to shutter businesses and encourage the limitation of operations not deemed “essential.” Businesses shut their doors with the intent they could reopen soon. “Give it two weeks, help ‘flatten the curve,’” we were all told.