SEAVIEW — The U.S. Navy plans to conduct a Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) exercise Aug. 6 at the Seaview Beach Approach, a trial run for how the service can help survivors of a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake and series of tsunamis.
The LCAC will land at Seaview around 8:15 a.m. It will depart at about 9:15 a.m. and return to land a second time at about 11:15 a.m. It will depart for the final time at noon. The public is welcome to view the demonstration.
“In the event of a catastrophic disaster, Pacific County is likely to be completely isolated from the I-5 corridor,” Scott McDougall, director of the Pacific County Emergency Management Agency said in a statement.
McDougall said his agency has been working with the Washington State Emergency Management Division and with the Navy Third Fleet to develop plans for ship-to-shore relief efforts.
“We have identified and planned for the Seaview Beach Approach and the Sid Snyder Beach Approach, along with the Grayland Beach Approach in Grays Harbor County, to be landing sites for amphibious LCAC vessels to bring relief supplies and equipment into Pacific County,” McDougall said. “These vessels are capable of carrying 65-70 ton payloads from larger support vessels that anchor near the shore.”
McDougall expressed thanks to exercise partners “for sharing their skills and expertise to make our county as resilient as possible, following a disaster. It is through partnership like this that we become stronger.”