2024 Regional Lahar Evacuation Drill

Exercise Objectives

1. Provide for the safety and accountability of all participants and responders throughout the exercise.

2. Evacuate all participating schools (students and staff), as well as participating jurisdiction staff, on foot to their designated assembly areas.

3. Maintain traffic control and safe travels for all students, school staff, and participating jurisdiction staff.

4. Utilize small-unmanned aircraft systems (SUAS) to monitor the evacuation and movement of students and staff to their designated assembly areas.

Partnerships

This full-scale exercise would not be possible without cooperation from the following agencies and organizations. The City of Puyallup thanks all these partners for their guidance and help with coordinating this event.

• Puyallup School District
• Orting School District
• Sumner-Bonney Lake School District
• White River School District
• Carbonado Historical School District
• City of Orting
• City of Sumner
• City of Bonney Lake
• City of Buckley
• Town of Carbonado
• Town of Wilkeson
• Central Pierce Fire and Rescue
• East Pierce Fire and Rescue
• Orting Valley Fire and Rescue
• Pierce County All Hazards Type III Incident Management Team

FAQ

What is a lahar?

A lahar is a type of mudflow or debris flow composed of rocky debris and water. The material flows down typically during a volcanic eruption along a river valley. They can also occur during a non-eruptive state, also called a no-notice lahar. Lahars are extremely destructive and can destroy any structure in their path. They are also very deep, reaching up to 400 feet in depth.

Lahars can occur by rapid melting of snow and ice during eruptions, by liquefaction of large landslides (also known as debris avalanches), by breakout floods from crater lakes, and by erosion of fresh volcanic ash deposits during heavy rains.

Lahars can range significantly in magnitude. The Osceola Lahar produced by Mt. Rainier over 5,000 years ago resulted in a flow 460 feet deep, which covered an area of 130 square miles. Lahars can also range in speed. Smaller lahars may only reach up to a few meters per second. However, larger lahars can reach speeds of over 20 miles per hour. In steep areas, lahars can exceed speeds of 120 miles per hour.

Why are we doing an exercise?

Mt. Rainier, the tallest and arguably most beautiful mountain in Washington, is an active volcano with a high probability of an eruption. The USGS predicts that a lahar event from Mt. Rainier could occur in the next 500 to 1,000 years. If an eruption and lahar were to occur soon, it would put the lives of thousands at risk in Pierce County.

Teaching the next generation of Pierce County residents how to prepare for a lahar is critical. The City of Puyallup has partnered with over a dozen agencies, including school districts, fire, police, and public administrations to host the biggest full-scale evacuation exercise in the country.

The purpose of the exercise is to familiarize students with the evacuation routes and to arm them with the tools to be prepared for a real-life evacuation.

When is this happening?

The full-scale exercise will occur on Thursday, March 21, 2024, from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. During that time, all participating school districts will evacuate their students along their lahar evacuation routes.

Who is involved?

The City has partnered with the following agencies to organize this exercise. They are:

• Puyallup School District
• Orting School District
• Sumner-Bonney Lake School District
• White River School District
• Carbonado Historical School District
• City of Puyallup
• City of Orting
• City of Sumner
• City of Bonney Lake
• City of Buckley
• Town of Carbonado
• Town of Wilkeson
• Central Pierce Fire and Rescue
• Orting Valley Fire and Rescue
• East Pierce Fire and Rescue
• Pierce County All Hazards Type III Incident Management Team

 The City thanks these agencies for their work and cooperation to make this event a success.

I live in downtown Puyallup. Am I in danger?

The short answer is no. We are conducting what is called a “Full Scale” Exercise, and there is no cause for alarm. However, you may notice a large number of pedestrians, specifically school children, walking downtown. If you are driving downtown, please drive slowly and watch for people crossing the street.

If you live downtown near the evacuation routes, please plan your day accordingly. Increased pedestrian traffic will mean longer commute times in and out of downtown. We encourage you to wave and give a shout-out to students and faculty during the exercise.

I live on South Hill. Should I be worried?

Not at all. All students will be walking their evacuation routes to a specified evacuation exercise location. In the event of an actual lahar, all schools in the lahar hazard zone have a designated school out of the lahar hazard zone. For the purpose of this exercise, and to ensure the safety of everyone, the evacuating participants will walk to a pre-determined evacuation exercise location. Please drive slowly and watch for pedestrians crossing the street.

Can I participate in the exercise?

This exercise is for students and faculty only. It is meant to educate our students on how to be prepared for a lahar. Due to security and safety concerns, only students and their teachers are allowed to walk the evacuation route together.

Although the public is not allowed to participate, they are highly encouraged to educate themselves on lahar preparation tips. For a list of preparation tips, please go to our page here.

What are some things I can do to be prepared?

Here are some tips for lahar preparation:

1. Make a Plan – Identify the evacuation route nearest your home and make a plan for how you are going to evacuate. Write down a list of family members and their contact information, and create an action plan that answers some questions including “What escape routes are in my home?” “If separated, what is our meeting place?” “If I cannot return home, where do I go?”
2. Have an Emergency Kit – Make sure it includes such things as an N95 mask, first aid, water, food, flashlight, blanket, cell phone charger, change of warm clothes, and other items.
3. Communicate – Have a list of your immediate friends and family members’ phone numbers available. Make sure to establish regular contact with them before, during, and after an emergency.
4. Sign up for alerts – You can sign up for alerts through our brand-new alert system, called Puyallup Alerts. 

For more lahar tips, please go to our website. To see the recently updated regional lahar evacuation routes, visit the newly launched East Pierce Interlocal Coalition for Emergency Management website at www.epiceoc.com.

If a Lahar does happen, how will I be notified?

The City of Puyallup uses a variety of means to contact the public if a lahar were to occur. That includes PuyallupAlerts, PCAlert, text alerts, social media, and updates on our website.

PuyallupAlerts is a free emergency notification service that allows public safety officials to notify residents and visitors of emergency situations. Puyallup Alerts will primarily be used for emergencies, but can also be used for specific non-emergency situations such as severe weather. Subscribers can choose how to be contacted. Options include voice, text, email, social media, and TDD/TTY alerts.

Who do I contact if I have questions?

If you are a reporter or news media representative, please contact Eric Johnson, Public Affairs Officer, via email or 253-344-6269.

For general public questions, please email our Emergency Manager Kirstin Hofmann.

Contact

For media inquiries, please contact Eric Johnson, Public Affairs Officer at ejohnson@puyallupwa.gov or 253-770-3370.

For information about the exercise, please contact Kirstin Hofmann at khofmann@puyallupwa.gov.

Outreach Materials

The following materials may be used for outreach to the community.

Fact Sheet

Lahar Preparedness

Although the Lahar Evacuation Drill is for students and faculty only, the public can get involved by educating themselves on lahar preparation tips. Some tips to get started include the following:

Before a Lahar

1. Plan – Identify the evacuation route nearest your home and plan how you are going to evacuate.
2. Have an Emergency Kit – Stock your kit with essential items such as an N95 mask, first aid, water, food, a flashlight, blankets, and other items.
3. Communicate – Create a list of phone numbers for family members and friends. Establish regular contact with them before, during, and after an emergency.
4. Sign Up for Alerts - Knowledge is key, especially in times of crisis. That's why we encourage residents and the public to sign up for emergency alerts, either via PC Alerts through Pierce County or our brand-new emergency alert system, Puyallup Alerts.

During a Lahar

1. Listen for Sirens and Emergency Alerts - Keep your cell phone on and ensure it is fully charged.
2. Follow Your Evacuation Route - Expect heavy traffic and delays. Ensure you have enough time to get to your designated area.
3. Bring Only Essential Items - This includes any prescription medications, water, warm clothes, and your Emergency Kit.