B.7. Tsunami Vertical Evacuation Refuge

Tsunamis are rare events often accompanied by some advance warning, from minutes to a couple of hours. Depending on their wave height and speed, they can inundate low-lying coastal areas as far as one mile inland.^[458] As such, strategies for mitigating tsunami risk have generally involved evacuation to areas of naturally occurring high ground outside the area of tsunami inundation. In some locations, high ground may not exist, or tsunamis triggered by local events may not allow sufficient warning time for communities to evacuate low-lying areas. In the case of tsunamis triggered by distant events, which can be accompanied by longer warning times, coastal communities can still be at risk if evacuation routes are long and complex, or if the routes become crowded with evacuees or obstructed by damage.

Where horizontal evacuation out of the tsunami inundation zone is neither possible nor practical, a potential solution is vertical evacuation above rising waters into buildings and other structures with the strength and resilience necessary to resist the effects of tsunami waves. A vertical evacuation refuge is a structure or earthen mound designated as a place of refuge in the event of a tsunami, with sufficient height to elevate evacuees above the tsunami inundation depth, designed and constructed to resist tsunami load effects.

FEMA provides assistance for tsunami vertical evacuation refuges through HMA. A refuge is meant to offer protection for a few hours until the danger of the tsunami waves has passed. In most areas, damaging waves will occur within the first 12 hours after the triggering event, although the potential for abnormally high tides and coastal flooding can last up to 24 hours. Assistance is not available for longer-term shelters meant to provide safe, accessible and secure short-term housing and services for disaster survivors. Shelters typically include a place to sleep along with extended food and water supplies.

Appendix M of the IBC, Tsunami-Generated Flood Hazards, states that “Tsunami Vertical Evacuation Refuge Structures located within a tsunami hazard design zone shall be planned, sited, and developed in general accordance with the planning criteria of the FEMA P-646 guidelines.” As such, HMA uses the following definitions from FEMA P-646, Guidelines for Design of Structures for Vertical Evacuation from Tsunamis, Third Edition (Aug. 2019):

• Refuge: An evacuation facility intended to serve as a safe haven until an imminent danger has passed (e.g., a few hours).
• Shelter: An evacuation facility that is intended to provide safe, accessible and secure short-term housing for disaster survivors, typically including a place to sleep along with extended food and water supplies.
• Vertical evacuation refuge: A building, non-building structure or earthen mound designated as a place of refuge in the event of a tsunami, with sufficient height to elevate evacuees above the tsunami inundation depth, designed and constructed to resist tsunami load effects in accordance with ASCE/SEI 7 (latest published edition).

Tsunami events can be preceded or followed by other natural hazards. The consequences of concurrent hazard events must be addressed as part of a tsunami vertical evacuation project. The most common concurrent hazard events are earthquakes, fires, landslides and upstream river and waterway flooding.

In the case of near-source-generated tsunami hazards, vertical evacuation refuges must be designed for seismic load effects in addition to tsunami load effects and must consider access issues including post-earthquake functionality of vertical circulation systems (e.g., elevators, escalators and stairs), fire resistance and suppression, and availability of emergency power.^[459] Vertical evacuation refuge structures must be tall enough to ensure safety of those seeking refuge even if the tsunami exceeds the design event. Vertical evacuation refuge structures must be located away from the wave-breaking zone when possible.

Functions that are critical for operation as a short-term refuge must be considered. Emergency power systems must be provided with adequate fuel supply and located above the anticipated flood level or adequately protected from water damage. Similarly, communications equipment should be protected from damages due to inundation, impact and seismic activity. Basic sanitation needs and safe storage for emergency provisions such as food and water must also be addressed. Fire protection systems must be designed in accordance with applicable fire safety codes.

Vertical evacuation refuge structures should be designed with considerations for ease of access and entry; compliance with ADA requirements; parking limitations; a policy regarding accommodation of pets; occupancy limitations; and protection of critical functions.

Tsunami vertical evacuation is eligible under HMGP, HMGP Post Fire and BRIC. To be eligible for HMA, vertical evacuation refuge structure applications and subapplications must include:

• Documentation on how the size and demographics of the impacted population was determined for use in locating and sizing the vertical evacuation refuge structure.
• How the impacted population would travel to the vertical evacuation refuge structure.
• Estimated travel times to reach the structure.
• Cost-effectiveness analysis using an approved FEMA methodology.
• Description of the approach the subapplicant will use in preparing the operations and management plan.

FEMA will only consider HMGP, HMGP Post Fire and BRIC subapplications for vertical evacuation refuge projects that identify that the population will not have time to evacuate the area and would face an imminent threat of tsunami-related hazards. The applicant or subapplicant will identify and quantify this population so the size of the vertical evacuation refuge can be verified during the application review process. The size of the vertical evacuation refuge is demonstrated by risk assessment information, such as information that is developed as part of a mitigation plan or evacuation plan.

HMGP, HMGP Post Fire and BRIC assistance is not available for general population shelters, including recovery shelters. The emergency management measures necessary to afford protection to thousands of occupants of large, public venues, such as stadiums or amphitheaters, are beyond the scope of HMGP, HMGP Post Fire, or BRIC refuge structures; therefore, community shelters are not eligible for HMGP, HMGP Post Fire, or BRIC assistance. Applicants and subapplicants must identify the hazard mitigation population to be protected, otherwise the application review may be delayed or the application may be rejected.

The following information provides details to help applicants and subapplicants identify, quantify and document eligible populations needing hazard mitigation life-safety protection during tsunami events. This section further describes categories of populations that are affected by tsunamis.

At a minimum, the applicant will demonstrate consideration of the following components in determining the eligible tsunami vertical evacuation structure population:

• Population to be protected within the area of impact by tsunami hazards.
• Warning capabilities, logistics and operation components that support basic vertical evacuation refuge functions.
• Travel times and routes for the population to be protected to reach the vertical evacuation refuge so that people are not exposed to additional risk when moving to the protected area.
• Hazard mitigation time of protection according to FEMA P-646 (minimum of eight hours and maximum of 24 hours).
• Relationship of the population to be protected by the vertical evacuation refuge to state or local emergency evacuation requirements.
• Effective and accessible warnings (alerts) that address the needs of individuals with disabilities and other access and functional needs and/or individuals who have limited English proficiency. Refer to the FEMA “Integrated Public Alert and Warning System” webpage for additional information.

The identified population directly affects the proposed vertical evacuation refuge size and is verified during the subaward review process. HMGP, HMGP Post Fire and BRIC assistance is not provided for vertical evacuation refuges that are larger than the size required to accommodate the identified population. HMGP, HMGP Post Fire and BRIC vertical evacuation refuge project applications are subject to usable floor area per occupant space requirements and size limitations identified in the design criteria noted in this section. Table 26 identifies the minimum required usable floor area per occupant consistent with FEMA P-646- and ASCE/SEI 7-recognized design criteria.

Table 26: HMA-Assisted Tsunami Vertical Evacuation Refuge Minimum Usable Floor Area per Occupant

Occupant Type	Minimum Usable Floor Area per Occupant* (square feet)
Standing or seated	10
Wheelchair user	10
Medical bed user	30

^* In addition to the square footage requirement per person, applicants and subapplicants who are modifying existing space must consider the normal functional use of the area. The type of durable medical equipment and furniture in a dual-purpose vertical evacuation refuge will determine how to calculate the net usable area. The net usable area is the available area to be used by the occupants after reducing the non-usable area from the gross area.

FEMA P-646 recommends the following:

• Usable floor area is 50% of gross floor area in shelter areas with concentrated furnishings or fixed seating.
• Usable floor area is 65% of gross floor area for structures with unconcentrated furnishings and without fixed seating.
• Usable floor area is 85% of gross floor area for structures with open plan furnishings and without fixed seating.

This section provides information to help applicants and subapplicants identify and define the population impacted by tsunamis and identify who may require a vertical evacuation facility.

As a community conducts a tsunami hazard assessment, it likely will complete inundation modeling and mapping. NOAA has already completed site-specific inundation models for 75 sites.^[460] These forecast models can be used to identify the area likely to be inundated during a tsunami. In addition to the NOAA models, other models are available to evaluate the potential inundation area for the Maximum Considered Tsunami, which is taken as a probabilistic tsunami having a 2% chance of being exceeded in a 50-year period, which equates to a 2,475-year mean recurrence interval. FEMA P-646 tsunami modeling generally is not widely commercially available but can be performed by a number of organizations, including government laboratories (such as U.S. Geological Survey, NOAA and Los Alamos National Laboratory), some universities, and some coastal engineering consulting companies with coastal engineering expertise. ASCE/SEI 7 also includes a tsunami geodatabase for the West Coast, Hawaii and parts of Alaska. The geodatabase provides information for some design parameters such as the extent of the Tsunami Design Zone. Where design data are not available, ASCE/SEI 7 requires a probabilistic tsunami hazard analysis to be performed to develop design parameters. Additional information about how to conduct this analysis is included in ASCE/SEI 7.

Demographic information can be obtained for the likely inundation area to determine the characteristics of the population that could be impacted by a tsunami. This information can be used in the planning and design processes for vertical evacuation refuges. In addition to the resident population, the potential for tourists and other non-residents should be considered when determining the population to be served by the vertical evacuation refuge.

Once the likely inundation area is known and the potentially affected population is quantified and characterized, evacuation models can be used to simulate evacuating the population to the shelter location by vehicle and/or on foot. Different models can simulate route selection, response time, travel speed, terrain, road networks, traffic, etc. They can also include parameters to simulate debris blockages, road damage and collapses of bridges and buildings. The evacuation models can be used to determine the estimated reduction in injuries and lives lost during the design event. The evacuation models can be run multiple times to account for different travel speeds, refuge locations and other considerations to evaluate strategic locations for the refuges, the number of people to be accommodated, and accommodations to serve various segments of the population.

As identified in FEMA P-646, the hazard mitigation time of protection for tsunami vertical evacuation refuges is eight to 24 hours. Therefore, any ancillary equipment required to operate during an event for the refuge must also be properly sized and protected to the same level as the refuge.

Applicants and subapplicants must provide documentation to support the identified population for the vertical evacuation refuge and must also submit adequate documentation in support of their risk assessments to allow program reviewers to determine whether the proposed refuge size is appropriate for the identified population. The documentation should be sufficiently detailed to be verified during the review process. Applicant and subapplicant coordination with the applicable federal, state or local agency responsible for developing emergency evacuation plans is critical.

Each program identifies documentation requirements. In general, however, documents that can be used to quantify the disproportionately impacted population, such as evacuation plans, emergency response plans, evacuation and inundation models, and meeting notes, are acceptable. For example, the population categories listed above may be part of the affected population identified in an emergency evacuation plan.

In all cases, the planning and operation of HMGP, HMGP Post Fire and BRIC vertical evacuation refuges, including identifying the population to be protected, must not conflict with state and/or local evacuation plans.

HMGP, HMGP Post Fire and BRIC vertical evacuation refuge activities must not be used as a substitute for, or as an option for individuals to ignore, local community and/or state evacuation plans or any other law or ordinance.

In addition to design and construction criteria, an accessible and effective warning system must be in place to notify prospective community tsunami vertical evacuation refuge occupants when they should evacuate to the facility. Applicants and subapplicants for tsunami vertical evacuation refuge projects must demonstrate that the population can be properly notified to allow sufficient travel time to the refuge.

Tsunami vertical evacuation is only eligible under HMGP, HMGP Post Fire and BRIC. Eligible activities could include:

• Design and/or construction of a single-purpose facility for a tsunami vertical evacuation refuge.
• Design and/or construction costs to add a vertical evacuation component to a new multipurpose facility.
• Modification of existing structures to accommodate a tsunami vertical evacuation refuge.
• Construction of elevated earthen berms for tsunami vertical evacuation.

Allowable tsunami vertical evacuation refuge structure project costs are directly related to and necessary for the hazard mitigation purpose of providing immediate life-safety protection by means of the structure for the limited population required to remain in the impact area during the event.

Budgets contained in applications and subapplications should include only eligible costs. Table 27shows eligible and ineligible components of tsunami vertical evacuation refuges. This table can be referred to when determining whether a component is an eligible cost of a tsunami vertical refuge application.

Eligible costs for HMGP, HMGP Post Fire and BRIC-assisted tsunami vertical evacuation refuge projects are costs for project components (e.g., design, construction and project administration) that are related directly to, and necessary for, the hazard mitigation purpose of providing immediate life-safety protection to the limited population that must evacuate in anticipation of a tsunami impacting the geographic area.

Eligible project costs are limited to:

• Protection by design components, in the case where a portion of an existing building is converted to a tsunami vertical evacuation refuge, including the exterior structural components, foundations, floor systems, columns, beams and wall systems, as specified in FEMA P-646, the latest published edition of ASCE/SEI 7 and the IBC, and applicable local building codes.
• Design and construction components for tsunami vertical evacuation refuge portion only, including engineering fees, permit fees, special inspection fees and excavation.
• Required features necessary for critical functions, including emergency power, electrical equipment, communications equipment, and ADA requirements such as accessible toilets and hand-washing stations.

Table 27: Eligible and Ineligible Components of Tsunami Vertical Evacuation Refuges

Components	Is the component eligible?
Structural systems that directly support or protect the tsunami vertical evacuation refuge or portion of building that serves this function	Yes
Means of 24-hour access	Yes
Protection of backup mechanical, electrical, ventilation and communication equipment necessary to provide critical functions for the tsunami vertical evacuation refuge	Yes
Signage	Yes
Communications, including at least one backup means of communication	Yes
Battery-powered signal emitting device that can be used to signal the location of the facility to local emergency personnel	Yes
Construction and permit fees	Yes
Alternate source of power	Yes
First aid supplies and equipment	Yes
Fire suppression systems (sprinkler systems and fire extinguishers)	Yes
Electrical lighting and outlets required for tsunami vertical evacuation refuge or portion of building that serves that function	Yes
ADA requirements	Yes
Ventilation	Yes
Heating, ventilation and air conditioning used for required ventilation	Yes
Heating, ventilation and air conditioning not used for required ventilation	No
Accessible toilets and hand-washing stations in tsunami vertical evacuation refuge or portion of building that serves this function	Yes
Planning/engineering/architecture design fees	Yes
Engineering study to calculate undefined flood elevations and/or inundation zones	Yes
Engineering peer review	Yes
Site preparation	Yes
Inspections, including special inspections	Yes
Geotechnical investigation	Yes
Storage room for food, water and safety equipment	Yes
Purchase of land (market value of the real property [land and structure] at the time of sale)	Yes
Fees for necessary appraisals, title searches, title insurance, property inspections, permit fees and surveys	Yes
Fees associated with the title transfer, contract review and other costs associated with conducting the real estate settlement, including recordation of the deed and deed restrictions	Yes
Property tax liens or tax obligations can be extinguished with proceeds from property sale while performing the transfer of title	Yes
Tsunami vertical evacuation refuge maintenance	No
Restroom fixtures not required by code, FEMA P-646 or ASCE/SEI 7	No
Paint on walls and ceilings of tsunami vertical evacuation refuge	No
Floor coverings – subfloors not required for life safety	No
Removal of structures from developed land	No
Kitchen cabinets, countertops and other equipment not required for life safety	No
Security cameras and emergency operations center-type equipment	No
Landscaping	No
Parking and all non-building elements unless required for ADA compliance	No

Costs associated with providing facilities for any function that is not essential for life-safety protection of occupants are not eligible. If a tsunami vertical evacuation refuge structure can fulfill its basic function of life-safety protection for users during a tsunami without a building feature or component that provides conveniences or additional comfort, costs associated with that feature or component are not eligible.

Refer to Table 27 for a list of ineligible activities related to tsunami vertical evacuation refuge. A general list of ineligible activities is included in Part 4.

Applicants and subapplicants must demonstrate that mitigation projects are cost-effective. Projects must be consistent with Part 5.

The FEMA BCA Toolkit currently does not have a tsunami module. Applicants and subapplicants may work with their respective FEMA regional office and the BCA Helpline to determine how the Historic/Professional Expected Damage methodology may be used and approaches like those used for safe rooms might be applied, or if other approaches/models are acceptable.

Projects must be consistent with Part 4. Mitigation projects assisted by HMA must be both feasible and effective at mitigating the risks of the hazard(s) for which the project was designed. A project’s feasibility is demonstrated through conformance with accepted engineering practices or established codes, standards, modeling techniques, or best practices.

Vertical evacuation refuge structures must be designed for tsunami load effects, including seismic-resistant and progressive collapse-resistant design features, which will require additional strength and ductility compared with normal structures.^[461]

To qualify for HMGP, HMGP Post Fire or BRIC assistance, a tsunami vertical evacuation structure must be designed and constructed to:

• Provide immediate life-safety protection in the projected impact area of a tsunami.
• Meet or exceed the requirements and recommended criteria in FEMA P-646 and the latest published edition of ASCE/SEI 7 and is verified by a licensed design professional. The design must also be peer reviewed by an independent, qualified peer reviewer who is approved by the authority-having jurisdiction.
• Designed and sized only to the extent necessary for the limited population that must take refuge in the tsunami impact strike/inundation area. The refuge structure is also designed for the limited time period that a tsunami is occurring. Therefore, tsunami vertical evacuation refuge structures must be sized according to the defined population that will use the facility during the event, and the design is to accommodate this population for a limited period.

In addition, all tsunami vertical evacuation refuge projects in flood hazard areas must also comply with the requirements established by the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard, conform to local floodplain regulations, and be permitted by the local floodplain administrator. ^[462] Refer to Part 4.I for more information about these requirements

All subapplications submitted to FEMA must meet the EHP criteria in Part 4. All subapplications must provide the information described in Part 6 so that FEMA may perform the EHP review.

All subapplications submitted to FEMA must meet the eligibility criteria in Part 4. All subapplications must have a scoping narrative in accordance with Part 6. Project-specific criteria are highlighted below.

FEMA may request additional information after the subapplication has been submitted to ensure all necessary information is received. However, all information required by the regulations and the HMA Guide must be received before an assistance decision and award or final approval can be made.

The subapplication must include the following identification of the impacted population:

• Documentation on the composition, size and rationale for including each group designated as an impacted population.
• Description of warning capabilities, logistics and operation components that support basic refuge functions.
• Documentation that demonstrates how the designated population would reach the refuge within the prescribed time limit after notification as required by FEMA P-646.
• If land acquisition is proposed, the current value of property and documentation demonstrating how the market value was determined.
• Description of the approach the subapplicant will use in preparing the operations and maintenance plan, including all the following components:
  • A description of the maintenance procedures.
  • A brief statement about the operation of the refuge when it is in use.
  • Basic information about how the refuge will be used, including how use is initiated, the warning system, and basic procedures for opening refuge to the public.
  • Key components of the refuge maintenance procedures.
  • The office that will be responsible for the operations and management of the refuge.
  • Assurance that the operations and management plan will be developed and completed before project closeout.

All subapplications must include latitude/longitude to the nearest sixth decimal place, site photographs, site maps and project plans and specifications.

Property information must also include the estimated furthest distance from the refuge to the population it is intended to serve and travel times by car and foot to reach the refuge. Travel times must account for travel within the structure itself to reach the top.

If property acquisition is proposed, the subrecipient must conduct a title search for the property it plans to acquire. The purpose of the title search is to ensure the owner is the sole and actual titleholder to the property, to identify other persons with a property interest if the owner is not the sole and actual titleholder and to ensure the title is clear (i.e., no mortgages or liens are outstanding on the sale of the property).

Prior to the purchase of the property, the subapplicant should document the process they will use to gain the necessary state and local approvals to construct a refuge.

Other title-related requirements are as follows:

• A title insurance policy demonstrating the clear title must be obtained for each approved property that will be acquired.
• A physical site inspection for each property must be conducted to verify there are no physical encumbrances to the property (a site survey may be necessary to clearly establish property boundaries).
• The property title must be transferred by a warranty deed in all jurisdictions that recognize warranty deeds.
• The subrecipient must take possession at settlement.
• The subrecipient must record the deed at the same time as settlement along with any program deed restrictions.
• The deed transferring title to the property and the program deed restrictions will be recorded according to state law and within 14 calendar days after the settlement.

All subapplications must include a line-item breakdown of all anticipated costs. Refer to Part 6 for more information.

Vertical evacuation structures require more strength and ductility than “typical” structures to ensure they will function after a seismic event and potential tsunami inundation. Consequently, it is expected that the cost to construct a tsunami vertical evacuation refuge will be higher than for standard structures. According to FEMA P-646, the cost to construct a vertical evacuation structure is likely to be 10 to 20% greater than a standard structure to account for the required seismic- and tsunami-resistant design features. However, relative costs will depend on geographic location, site-specific features and the specific hazard conditions.

Applications for vertical evacuation refuge projects must include detailed line-item costs in the project budgets. Well-documented project budgets contain quantities, unit costs and a source for each unit cost. In contrast, lump-sum budgets do not provide quantities and unit costs required to evaluate the accuracy of the project budget. Lump-sum estimates are not acceptable.

Under HMGP, HMGP Post Fire and BRIC, project budgets include unit costs related to the proposed square footage of the protected area or areas of the vertical evacuation structure. Unit costs may also be related to the protected population (occupants) of the vertical evacuation structure.

Subapplicants may apply for subrecipient management costs to cover administrative costs. Management costs must be included in the subapplication budget as a separate line item. More information about the requirements for management cost requests can be found in Part 13.

For property identified for acquisition, the subrecipient shall establish and document a property value based on market value, which is defined as:

The current market value reflects the property value at the time of purchase.

The following appraisal methodology must be used to determine property value:

• The appraisal must be conducted by an appraiser in accordance with the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice.
• The appraiser must comply with relevant state laws and requirements and have the appropriate certification, qualifications and competencies based on the type of property being appraised.

The following are basic steps in implementing an approved tsunami vertical evacuation refuge project:

1. Pre-construction (acquire land, if applicable, or obtain rights to use existing buildings/infrastructure for development of a tsunami vertical evacuation structure; carry out design process; seek technical consultant; prepare cost estimate; obtain construction permits including required environmental permits; hire construction manager/contractor).
2. Hold project kickoff meeting.
3. Prepare site for construction.
4. Install new foundations or improve of existing foundations.
5. Construct new structure or modify existing structure in accordance with designs.
6. Pass inspections.
7. Achieve substantial completion of construction.
8. Obtain certificate of occupancy.

Post-award monitoring helps ensure that subapplicants/subrecipients are achieving the objectives of the federal award consistent with the performance goals and milestones described in the subaward. To assist the recipient in monitoring tsunami vertical evacuation refuge projects, the following milestone information or events should be included in Quarterly Progress Reports:

• If the subrecipient is acquiring contract support, the subrecipient should report when the request for proposal is completed, when the contract is out for bid, when the bid period closes, when proposals are reviewed, when the contractor is selected and the date of the kickoff meeting.
• Describe the current status including a summary of:
  • Recent progress and planned work.
  • Risks identified or changes from the milestones/deliverables submitted with the scope of work (e.g., financial concerns, coordination issues with state or local governments and utilities, project management or contracting issues, legal disputes, and significant changes impacting construction activities or timelines such as delays due to weather, materials, procurement or labor issues).
  • When construction has started, is substantially complete or completed.
• If property is purchased, the report should provide property address, purchase price and date.
• Any other milestones that have been identified in the subapplication or agreed to or are required by the recipient.

Recipients are required to report deviations from budget, project scope or objectives, in accordance with Part 8. Recipients must request prior approvals from FEMA for budget and program plan revisions.^[464] If the final design is not complete prior to award, once the project is awarded, the design must be finalized by a licensed design professional and verified by an independent, qualified peer reviewer who is approved by the authority-having jurisdiction. Any changes to the scope of work or budget because of completing the final design or to address permitting requirements must be consistent with Part 8. Construction design activities are defined as construction activities; therefore, budget changes involving them must be consistent with Part 8.F.2.

Recipients and subrecipients must closeout projects in a timely manner consistent with Part 9.

In addition to the typical HMA program closeout procedures, closeout of tsunami vertical evacuation projects generally includes:

• Photos of the project site before and after construction.
• Latitude/longitude of the project site to the nearest sixth decimal place.
• A vicinity map, map of the SFHA if applicable, and Tsunami Design Zone map showing the extent of inundation by a Maximum Considered Tsunami, as defined by Chapter 6 of ASCE/SEI 7.
• Certification from a licensed professional engineer or architect that the vertical evacuation refuge structure and all items that contribute to its operation have been constructed to meet or exceed FEMA P-646 and ASCE/SEI 7 requirements.
• Any structural and non-structural design peer review reports as required by the latest published editions of FEMA P-646 and ASCE/SEI 7.
  • The peer review purpose is to have another person review the design and construction documents of the safe room to ensure it meets FEMA design standards. If issues are found in the design of the tsunami vertical evacuation refuge, it can be addressed and resolved.
  • The peer review must be completed by an independent licensed professional engineer or architect. It cannot be the same design professional providing the design oversight of the tsunami vertical evacuation refuge.
  • The peer reviewer will review the structural design, occupancy, means of egress, access and accessibility, fire safety and essential features of the tsunami vertical evacuation refuge.
• An operations and maintenance plan that includes, at a minimum:
  • How the vertical evacuation refuge will open after a warning.
  • How the vertical evacuation refuge will operate, including a plan for pets.
  • Type and quantity of stocked supplies and where they will be stored.
  • How people will leave the refuge when the threat is over.
  • A regular maintenance plan.
• Information demonstrating that the completed project will be maintained to achieve the proposed hazard mitigation.
• A description of the post-closeout maintenance activities that will be undertaken to maintain the refuge.
• The period of time the community is committing to maintain the refuge, which must be consistent with the project useful life in the BCA.
• The department and job position that will be responsible for the refuge.
• Estimated costs for annual maintenance of the refuge.
• The schedule for completion of the maintenance activities.