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Depoe Bay committee plans outreach to merchants after skirmish over evacuation plan review
Summary
Committee members agreed to draft a merchants-preparedness letter and website content after local business owners said they lacked clear guidance on what to do in a tsunami or major earthquake.
The Depoe Bay Emergency Preparedness Committee agreed to draft outreach materials for local merchants after members described conversations with storefront owners who said they did not know what to do if an earthquake and tsunami warning occurred.
Deb (committee member and local resident) told colleagues she spoke with Bridget, a shop owner, who said employees expect a chime and had not recently participated in a drill. “We need to let our businesses know what they need to do,” Deb said during the meeting.
Committee members proposed creating a "Merchants Preparedness" page on the city website with a short checklist ("When the ground shakes, walk — don't drive," and head to identified high-ground assembly points), printable pocket maps, and a short letter that could also be hand-distributed. Members suggested tying reminders to the annual business license cycle so merchants receive a prompt each year.
The proposed materials would include guidance for staff and seasonal employees, a short go-bag checklist, and directions: don’t drive, move customers to high ground, and bring lightweight supplies. Committee members also discussed doing in-person visits to downtown merchants and creating a QR code on the website that would link directly to the merchants' checklist.
The group assigned a small drafting team and asked staff to coordinate posting with the city’s website manager. Committee members said they will provide a draft letter and a suggested webpage copy for staff review and for the City Council to confirm before broad outreach.
No formal council-level approval for content was recorded; the committee agreed to prepare the draft and send it to staff for placement on the website and for onward submission to council if required.
