Inside the Nation’s First Tsunami Evacuation Structure with Quintin Swanson

What happens when generations of tsunami stories become a blueprint for saving lives? In this episode, Quintin Swanson, Council Chairman and Education Director of the Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe, explains how ancestral knowledge and modern engineering came together to build the first tsunami vertical evacuation structure in the United States.Quintin shares the tribe’s history on Washington’s coast, the warnings passed down about past quakes and tsunamis, and the turning point that pushed the community to act. He walks us through how the structure was designed, who it’s built to protect, and what those crucial minutes between an earthquake and a tsunami really look like.Quintin wraps with his “Weathered Wisdom,” offering a powerful reflection on the natural event that shaped his life.A sharp, compelling look at coastal resilience and a model for future tsunami preparedness.