In One Ear: A validating moment

Published 12:15 am Friday, March 29, 2019

The remote Makah Tribal Reservation town of Neah Bay is on the northwest tip of Washington, near the mouth of the Strait of Juan de Fuca (Salish Sea), right across from British Columbia.

It is two hours from the nearest city and, like many coastal Oregon and Washington towns, the land nearest the sea is flat, and would be vulnerable when the Cascadia Subduction Zone unleashes a megaquake and tsunami.

Makah tribal elder Melissa Peterson worries about the old people and children in her village. She knows they will only have 10 minutes to reach the high ground nearby after the earthquake, and took it upon herself to start a grassroots effort to build a tsunami trail to help bay residents climb to safety.

Although it is steep, care is being taken to make the trail accessible for the elderly and disabled — which means small bridges and wide stairs over steep switchbacks are needed. One holding and rest area/platform is planned at about 150 feet above sea level; emergency services will be at the top of the hill.

Work has begun. On the lower level of the trail, gravel has been laid, and two bridges and 30 stairs to the first elevation level have already been built. There have been several donations of time, money and materials, but her personal funds have run out, and more is needed to build the 250 to 300 stairs necessary to reach the top of the hill. To help, contribute at Melissa Peterson’s GoFundMe page at bit.ly/MPtsutrail

The unfinished trail has already been declared an official tsunami evacuation route, which Peterson calls an “amazing validating moment.”

“It’s been an amazing journey,” she told the Peninsula Daily News (bit.ly/MPpdn). “It provides hope.”