THE ROLE OF COMMUNITY EDUCATION IN ENHANCING THE RESPONSE TO LAHAR WARNINGS FROM MOUNT RAINIER

Mt. Rainier is a large, active volcano in Washington State, United States. While a variety of volcanic hazards at Mt Rainier threaten the region, there is more summit snow and ice cover on Mt. Rainier than all other Cascade volcanoes combined, exacerbating the lahar hazard. Since the early 1980’s number of actions have been taken to mitigate the lahar hazard and its effects on downstream communities. The installation of an automated lahar detection system (consisting of Acoustic Flow Monitors) which triggers alerts when lahars are generated has been the key component of there warning system. To compliment the warning system hardware, the USGS, local educators, and emergency managers have been involved in a public education program with the intention of informing residents and visitors about volcano hazards, evacuation routes, and other appropriate response measures. This paper examines the communities' understanding of the lahar risk, based on a 2006 survey. The study showed that in general, the residents seem to have a realistic perspective regarding the risks that lahars may pose to their safety. Denial of the risk or the belief that the risk may be exaggerated were not common reactions; approximately 10% of respondents stated that if there is a lahar it "won’t be so bad", or that they think they are unlikely to be affected by a lahar if one occurs. Only 14% said that they think the risk from lahars has been exaggerated. Only 28% of those who responded to the survey feel that they are prepared for a major lahar; even fewer believe that local officials are prepared (25%), but interestingly, only 8% stated that the residents of their community are prepared for a lahar. The study concluded that in addition to the wider community education efforts local school educators and their students have also played a crucial role in disseminating information about natural processes, hazards, and recommended preparedness measures.