Presenters

Mark Oberle, MD, MPH, Associate Dean for Public Health Practice, School Public Health & Community Medicine, and Faculty, Northwest Center for Public Health Practice

Harold Mofjeld, PhD, Senior Scientist, Tsunami Research Program, NOAA/Pacific Marine Environmental Lab and Senior Fellow, Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean

Mark Oberle was in Phuket, Thailand, during the tsunami and was part of rescue efforts during the first hours. He will describe his experience and lessons learned that are applicable to public health preparedness and response. Hal Mofjeld, a senior scientist with NOAA's Tsunami Research Program, will provide an overview of what happened in the Indian Ocean tsunami, as well as the risk of tsunami in the Northwest, appropriate planning activities, early warning systems, and education needs.

Learning Objectives

1. Define the first responder approach to tsunamis
2. Describe the appropriate public health approach to tsunami disasters
3. Recognize the tsunami threat to the Pacific Northwest
4. Describe the tsunami warning system and tsunami preparedness programs

Appropriate Audience

• All public health professionals, especially public health preparedness planners and emergency managers

Presenters

Mark Oberle, MD, MPH has been a member of the University of Washington faculty since 1990 and founded the Northwest Center for Public Health Practice. Professor Oberle serves in the School of Public Health and Community Medicine as Associate Dean for Public Health Practice and is a professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Health Services. Dr. Oberle concluded a 21-year career with the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention before coming to the University of Washington.

Harold Mofjeld, PhD, is a Senior Scientist in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/Pacific Marine Environmental Lab/Tsunami Research Program. He is also an Affiliate Professor of Oceanography at the University of Washington. Dr. Mofjeld does research and development in support of NOAA's tsunami warning systems and coastal mapping efforts. Focus areas include: bottom depth and tidal effects on tsunami propagation and inundation, forecasting later tsunami waves, Puget Sound tsunamis, and operational software development. He provides tsunami advice to the Washington State Emergency Management Division, as well as county EMDs in Washington. His publications include over 50 papers and reports on tsunamis, sea level and tides.

Session Archive

Play the recorded presentation [ 17 MB ]

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PowerPoint® Slides and Related Resources

Tsunami Preparedness-Harold Mofjeld [ 2.2 MB ]
Tsunami: Lessons for Public Health - Mark Oberle [ 983 KB ]

Related Web Sites

• National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program, http://nthmp.tsunami.gov/
• Information on the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake, including animation of the resulting tsunami, from Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Indian_Ocean_earthquake
• "Mental health crisis looming for survivors of tsunami, warns UW psychologist just back from Indonesia", Jan. 21, 2005, news article from uwnews.org, http://www.uwnews.org/article.asp?articleID=7714
• Surviving a Tsunami: Lessons from Chile, Hawaii and Japan, U.S. Geological Survey
  http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/c1187/
• Rapid Health Response, Assessment, and Surveillance After a Tsunami - Thailand, 2004-2005. MMWR 54(3): 61-64. January 28, 2005
  www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5403a1.htm
• Emergency Resource Guide, WA State Department of Health
  www.doh.wa.gov/phepr/handbook.htm