Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Puyallup releases 56-page lahar report, warns 41% of residents live in modeled hazard zone
Summary
City staff presented a 56-page study using a 2022 USGS worst-case lahar model showing roughly 17,400 residents (about 41% of Puyallup) and 14,800 workers (about 44%) are inside the modeled lahar footprint; staff outlined evacuation routes, critical-facility exemptions, and a regional evacuation exercise for 50,000 students and staff.
Kirsten Hoffman, the city’s emergency management manager, presented a 56-page report to the Puyallup City Council on March 24 that used the U.S. Geological Survey’s 2022 lahar modeling to assess local risk and preparedness.
The report, compiled by city staff with USGS input, used the outer boundary of a worst-case lahar footprint to avoid implying any interior areas were safe. Rachel Brown, a city planner, said the city has about 42,700 residents, of whom roughly 17,400 (about 41%) live inside the modeled lahar zone; about 14,800 jobs (roughly 44% of the city’s workforce) are located in that same footprint.
“The study focused on the city limits and used the new USGS model to ensure we captured areas that would realistically be impacted in the case of this lahar event,” Brown said.
The presentation outlined which kinds of…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
