The Ocosta School District is currently constructing North America ‘s first publicly funded tsunami shelter — about half of Westport’s population.
Residents in the District approved a $13.8 million bond issue in early 2013 to replace the aging round elementary school building with a complex that includes a gym strong enough to withstand tsunami surges with a roof deck that tall enough to stay dry and big enough to shelter more than 1,000 people on its roof.
Deep pilings support the gym in the event the foundation gives out. Reinforced concrete stair towers at the gym’s four corners will provide quick access to the roof, where students, staff and residents can wait for high waters to recede.
The new gym’s roof will be approximately 55 feet above sea level, well above the tallest 30-feet surges tsunami modelers predict if a major tsunami strikes.
The additional engineering and work to make the gym sturdy enough to survive a major tsunami has added approximately 20 percent to the project’s cost.