disaster Archives - Northwest Public Broadcasting

Coastal Washington Tribe Creates Higher Ground By Building Tsunami Tower, First Of Its Type Here

By Tom Banse August 10, 2022

The first free-standing tsunami refuge in North America is now open in Tokeland in Pacific County, Washington.

There is a new option to escape a tsunami if you’re on the southwest coast of Washington when the Big One strikes. The Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe on Friday dedicated a 50-foot tall evacuation tower in Tokeland, Washington. Tribal leaders and the Federal Emergency Management Agency said the new tsunami refuge platform should be an example and inspiration for other Read More

Crews Are Ending The Search For Survivors In The Surfside Condo Collapse

By NPR News July 7, 2021

Rescue workers search in the rubble at the Champlain Towers South condo in Surfside, Fla., on June 26. CREDIT: Gerald Herbert/AP

Fourteen days after the catastrophic collapse of the Champlain Towers South condo building in Surfside, Fla., officials have called off the search for survivors. Continue Reading Crews Are Ending The Search For Survivors In The Surfside Read More

2018 Report Found Florida Condo Had ‘Major Structural Damage’ Before It Collapsed This Week

By NPR News June 26, 2021

In this photo provided by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, search-and-rescue personnel search for survivors through the rubble at the Champlain Towers South Condo in Surfside, Fla., on Friday. Via AP

A structural engineering report provided to the Champlain Towers condominium association in 2018 found widespread problems that required extensive repairs "in the near future." Continue Reading 2018 Report Found Florida Read More

Here’s What We Know About The Condition Of The Florida Building Before It Collapsed

By NPR News June 25, 2021

A Miami-Dade Fire Rescue truck is seen Thursday in front of debris from the partially collapsed Champlain Towers South complex in Surfside, Fla., north of Miami Beach. CREDIT: Eva Marie Uzcategui/AFP via Getty Images

As search and rescue operations continue, questions abound as to why the Champlain Towers South complex near Miami, only 40 years old, partially collapsed on Thursday. Continue Reading Here’s What We Know About The Read More