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5A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2017 Pod: ‘All I do is think about disasters’ Continued from Page 1A “All of their construction is concrete, and it crumbled,” she said. It was time to look for another option. But as she began to look, she also began dating a man from Astoria. “I met the fella and started coming down here on week- ends and in the summer, and it’s incredible. This coastline is everything you would want,” Johnson said. “The people are so friendly and it felt a lot like small-town America again. And I was really glad to get back to that.” Once she decided that this is where she wanted to be, she had to give some consideration to possible outcomes. “Probably more consid- eration than anyone proba- bly would,” said Johnson, who worked as a pandemic plan- ner and with disaster recovery groups earlier in her career. “All I do is think about disasters. And that’s what I was paid to do for the majority of my career.” Johnson explained how she had done nuclear bomb drills when she was a kid. When she married, she moved to Kan- sas, where every spring there are tornadoes. Her father went on to retire in New Orleans, where she lived through three hurricanes. “You just start to think of those things. Not that it is going to happen, but if it does, you’re ready.” Being prepared “I really wanted to be at like 200 feet elevation in Sahalee (the hillside neighborhood in Ilwaco). Everyone wants the house that is out of reach of the tsunami.” Johnson said her friends’ warned her about tsunamis. “Three hundred years since the last tsunami. The (Cascadia Subduction Zone) is liable to go,” Johnson recalled. “There is geological proof that it goes every 300 years. We’re over- due. So you really don’t want to be down low.” But she said romanticism drew her to the waterside. “But I thought, you know, I want to hear the waves. I want to get to the beach (from her home). I know up high is cool, but why wouldn’t I just have a shelter like I did (in Kansas)?” And with this in mind, she began to investigate the pos- sibilities. She soon found that an underground shelter wasn’t practical on the giant sand bar that is the peninsula. “I started to do some online research and found a lot of options. There were hard plas- tic containers you can get in. And then I found information on the NASA competition.” In 2011, a former Boeing engineer, Julian Sharpe, was featured in the top 10 of the NASA Create the Future con- test. His design for a capsule that could withstand a tsunami intrigued Johnson. “I’m very scientific in my job, so I started to really get into the details of his design. It’s fantastic. It takes care of all the fears you would have, including fire. That’s the one that nobody else covers.” “You know, people are saying, ‘Oh great, you’re under a debris pile.’ But I’m alive. That’s a good problem to have.” Jeanne Johnson Klipsan woman who owns a tsunami pod Johnson explained how busted propane tanks would leave pools of gas floating on the water’s surface, easily ignitable. “Even if you could hold onto something in the water. Even if you were in a boat. The fire would kill you.” She said the things she wanted protection from were crushing, drowning, cold and fire. Most tsunami experts sug- gest that people will only have around 20 minutes to evacu- ate before a tsunami hits. John- son knew that she didn’t want to take her chances on the road, and so looked for something else she could do to save her- self in that amount of time. The savior? “There’s no way you could A — Outrun it. Or B — Deal with the panic on the penin- sula,” Johnson said when asked why she was deciding to stay at home, a short distance from the beach, rather than running for her life if the tsunami siren went off. She began calling manufac- turers of various tsunami sur- THE DAILY ASTORIAN W EDNESDAY E VENING A (2) (-) (-) (6) (-) (8) (9) (10) (12) (13) (-) (20) (-) (29) (30) (31) (32) (34) (35) (36) (38) (39) (43) (44) (45) (46) (47) (48) (49) (50) (51) (52) (53) (54) (56) (57) (58) (61) (63) (64) (65) (162) L KATU KOMO KING KOIN KIRO KGW KRCW KOPB KPTV KPDX KCPQ TBS KZJO ESPN ESPN2 NICK DISN FAM FMC LIFE ROOT FS1 SPIKE COM HIST A&E TLC DISC NGEO TNT AMC USA FOOD HGTV FX CNN FNC CNBC BRAV TCM SYFY RFD (2) (4) (5) (-) (7) (-) (3) (10) (12) (-) (13) (20) (22) (29) (30) (31) (32) (34) (35) (36) (38) (39) (43) (44) (45) (46) (47) (48) (49) (50) (51) (52) (53) (54) (56) (57) (58) (61) (63) (64) (65) (162) 6 vival devices, including the one produced by the company that Sharpe founded in Mukilteo, Washington, called Survival Capsule, LLC. “I do business development, and I’m curious about it. I’ve started up companies in my youth. I was curious how his business was going. It’s a very new idea — and a controver- sial one.” Sharpe told her that they had been mostly doing work in Japan. He also told her that the company had been work- ing with Dr. Eddie Bernard, the director of the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, one of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Oceanographic Research Labo- ratories, since 1983. Bernard is also considered one of the fore- most experts on tsunamis in the U.S. “I felt like I was making a really good choice. But then (Sharpe) said they weren’t sell- ing in the United States yet.” Sharpe explained to her that the need was greater in Japan and so they had yet to begin sales in the U.S. “People in the U.S. may not be in greater peril, however, peril may exist,” Johnson said. “I kind of pushed him a little bit to sell in the United States now, instead of later.” And that’s how Johnson became the first person in the U.S. to purchase a Survival Capsule. The 300-pound spher- ical pod, which was deliv- ered late last week, is simi- lar in terms of size and interior room to the Gemini space cap- sules. The capsule also features an aircraft-style door that seals when closed. “I got the two-person cap- sule, and it’s really small,” she said. A basic two-person cap- sule costs $13,500 and the four-person model sells for $17,500. Six, eight and 10-per- son models also are available. Johnson was featured in a TV news piece by KING 5 Seattle last week, and she noted that many people did not have very encouraging comments on the story. “A lot of people said, ‘Looks like a coffin to me! Looks like you’ll die in it. Good luck lady, looks like you’re going to die in the capsule,’” she recalled. “Maybe I will, but I’m guar- anteed to die otherwise. I’m 18 minutes from high ground if no one is in my way.” And while the capsule is small, it has room for a variety of items. Johnson said she’ll have a bike helmet, Mustang life preservers, flares, 40-days worth of freeze-dried camping food and water bladders inside hers. Dr. Bernard suggests that there would be a four-hour window in which the tsunami’s flooding would continue to take place. Johnson said she will also have the ability to tether her capsule via a 100-foot steel cable connected to a concrete plug in the ground outside her house, essentially turning her into a buoy. And in the event that the water becomes deeper than 100 feet, the sheer pin on the cable will break, allowing the pod to float freely. Inside, the seats feature a four-point harness. The water bladders, when full, help create ballast and keep it floating upright. It has a ceramic lining to help protect from heat and cold. Larger models of the pod can also feature two doors and dry powder toilets. You gotta die somehow There are many “what-if’s” when it comes to the Survival Capsule. What if it breaks its tether and floats out to sea after the tsunami subsides? (The cap- sule features a GPS beacon.) What if the door is blocked by debris? (Johnson said she has a tool to bust out the small port- holes and launch flares). What if the hatch starts to leak? (She plans to have multiple air tanks and masks inside). “You know, people are say- ing, ‘Oh great, you’re under a debris pile.’ But I’m alive. That’s a good problem to have I guess,” she said. “At least I’ve survived. I’m still safer in there than I would be outside.” So despite knowing more than most people about tsu- namis, knowing the various frightening outcomes, knowing the chances of survival, why is Johnson still willing to take the chance? “People asked me that when I still lived in New Orleans,” she said. “Because of all the great things that New Orleans has to offer every other day.” She said for her, it’s a simi- lar equation here. “I lived in tornado alley (in Kansas), where we had 200 tor- nadoes every spring. I’ve hit 15 deer with a car in my lifetime. Why on earth would you want to live in Seattle where Mount Rainier could blow and that glacier could melt and every- body would drown? “I’m more likely to be killed on I-405 by a kid on a cell- phone than I am to be killed in a tsunami here.” WORLD IN BRIEF Associated Press Trump announces ‘major’ voter fraud investigation WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump tweeted early Wednesday that he is ordering a “major investigation” into voter fraud, revisiting unsubstantiated claims he’s made repeat- edly about a rigged voting system. The investigation, he said, will look at those registered to vote in more than one state, “those who are illegal and … even, those registered to vote who are dead (and many for a long time).” Depending on results, Trump tweeted, “we will strengthen up voting procedures!” Trump has been fixated on his loss of the popular vote in the election and a concern that the legitimacy of his presidency is being challenged by Democrats and the media, aides and asso- ciates say. Trump’s own attorneys dismissed claims of voter fraud in a legal filing responding to Green Party candidate Jill Stein’s demand for a recount in Michigan late last year. “On what basis does Stein seek to disenfranchise Michi- gan citizens? None really, save for speculation,” the attorneys wrote. “All available evidence suggests that the 2016 general election was not tainted by fraud or mistake.” Trump draft order seeks review on terror interrogations WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is consider- ing a major review of America’s methods for interrogating ter- ror suspects and the possible reopening of CIA-run “black site” prisons outside the United States, according to a draft executive order obtained by The Associated Press. The order would also reverse America’s commitment to closing the U.S. detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and instruct the Pentagon to send newly captured “enemy com- batants” to the site. The document instructs top national security officers to “recommend to the president whether to reinitiate a program of interrogation of high-value alien terrorists to be operated outside the United States and whether such program should include the use of detention facilities operated by the Central Intelligence Agency.” The document says U.S. laws should be obeyed at all times and explicitly rejects “torture.” But its reconsideration of the harsh interrogation techniques banned by President Barack Obama and Congress is sure to inflame passions in the United States and abroad. While some former government leaders insist the program was effective in obtaining critical intelligence, many others blame it for some of the worst abuses in the “war on terror” after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the United States. Trump moving forward with border wall, weighs refugee cuts WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump will begin roll- ing out executive actions on immigration Wednesday, beginning with steps to build his proposed wall along the U.S.-Mexico bor- der, according to two administration officials. He’s also expected to target so-called sanctuary cities and is reviewing proposals that would restrict the flow of refugees to the United States. The president is expected to sign the first actions — includ- ing the measure to jumpstart construction of the wall — Wednesday during a trip to the Department of Homeland Secu- rity. Additional actions will be announced out over the next few days, according to one official. Trump is said to still be weighing the details of plans to restrict refugees coming to the U.S. The current proposal includes at least a four-month halt on all refugee admissions, as well as temporary ban on people coming from some Muslim majority countries, according to a representative of a public pol- icy organization that monitors refugee issues. LISTINGS A - Charter Astoria/ Seaside - L - Charter Long Beach Evening listings WEDNESDAY J ANUARY 25 PM 6:30 7 PM 7:30 8 PM 8:30 9 PM 9:30 10 PM 10:30 11 PM 11:30 KATU News at 6 Jeopardy! Wheel of Fortune The Goldbergs Speechless Modern Family Black-ish Match Game KATU News at 11 (:35) Jimmy Kimmel KOMO 4 News Wheel of Fortune Jeopardy! The Goldbergs Speechless Modern Family Black-ish Match Game KOMO 4 News (:35) Jimmy Kimmel NBC Nightly News KING 5 News KING 5 News Evening Blindspot Law & Order: S.V.U. "Imposter" Chicago P.D. "300,000 Likes" KING 5 News (:35) Tonight Show KOIN Local 6 at 6 CBS Evening News Extra Ent. 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(N) Frequency "Signal Kiss" (SF) (N) KGW News at 10 Two and a Half Two and a Half Met Your Mother Journeys in Japan Business (N) PBS NewsHour Nature "A Sloth Named Velcro" Nova "Sunken Ship Rescue" Alzheimer's: Every Minute Counts (N) Living With Alzheimer's and Dementia 6 O'Clock News Family Feud Family Feud Lethal Weapon "The Seal Is Broken" (N) Star "New Voices" (N) 10 O'Clock News 11 O'Clock News 2 Broke Girls Mike & Molly Mike & Molly Big Bang Theory Big Bang Theory FOX 12's 8 O'Clock News on PDX-TV FOX 12's 9 O'Clock News on PDX-TV Family Guy Family Guy American Dad Cleveland Show Modern Family Modern Family Big Bang Theory Big Bang Theory Lethal Weapon "The Seal Is Broken" (N) Star "New Voices" (N) Q13 News at 10 Q13 News The Simpsons Seinfeld Seinfeld Seinfeld Seinfeld Big Bang Theory Big Bang Theory Big Bang Theory Big Bang Theory Big Bang Theory Full Frontal (N) Conan (N) Two and a Half Two and a Half Last Man Standng Last Man Standng Modern Family Modern Family Q13 News at 9 Big Bang Theory Big Bang Theory Friends Friends (5:00) NBA Basketball Golden State vs Charlotte (L) NBA Basketball Los Angeles Lakers at Portland Trail Blazers Site: Moda Center -- Portland, Ore. (L) SportsCenter SportsCenter (4:30) NCAA Basket. ITF Tennis Australian Open Women's Semifinal Site: Melbourne Park -- Melbourne, Australia (L) NBA Basketball L.A. Lakers vs Portland NickyRickyDicky Full House Full House 1/2 Full House 2/2 Full House Friends Friends Pt. 1 of 2 Henry Danger Henry Danger Paradise Run (N) Rufus 2 (2017, Family) Jace Norman. Girl Meets World Bizaardvark K.C. Undercover Good Luck Charlie Stuck in Middle Good Luck Charlie Liv and Maddie Liv and Maddie Bunk'd Bunk'd Jessie Jessie Hitch (2005, Comedy) Eva Mendes, Kevin James, Will Smith. Save the Last Dance (2000, Drama) Sean Patrick Thomas, Kerry Washington, Julia Stiles. The 700 Club (5:00) The Tourist (:55) Taken 2 (2012, Action) Famke Janssen, Maggie Grace, Liam Neeson. (:45) Taken 2 (2012, Action) Famke Janssen, Maggie Grace, Liam Neeson. (:35) FXM Presents The Tourist (2010, Action) Johnny Depp. Black Magic "Locals vs. Out of Towners" Black Magic "Luenell's Private Party" Little Women "Masquerade Ballers" (N) LW Atlanta "Just a Friend" (N) Magic "Everyone's Replaceable" (N) Black Magic "Luenell's Private Party" NCAA Basketball San Jose State at Colorado State (L) NCAA Basketball Villanova at Marquette NCAA Basketball Creighton at Georgetown (5:30) NCAA Basketball Butler vs. Seton Hall (L) Fox College Hoops NCAA Basketball UCLA vs. USC (L) Fox Sports Live TMZ Sports (N) Skip and Shannon: Undisputed Shooter (2007, Action) Michael Peña, Danny Glover, Mark Wahlberg. (5:30) Ghost Rider (2007, Action) Eva Mendes, Wes Bentley, Nicolas Cage. Walking Tall (:20) South Park (:55) South Park "Asspen" (:25) South Park South Park South Park South Park South Park Workaholics (N) Jeff & Aliens (N) The Daily Show (N) @midnight (N) Amer. 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Too Close Home "A Happy Invasion" (N) My 600-lb Life "Kirsten's Story" Alaskan Bush People "All That Matters" Alaskan Bush People "Bear With Us" Alaskan Bush "Browntown Boom" (N) Alaskan Bush People (N) ABP:The Book of Matt (N) Alaskan Bush People Rocky Mountain "The Hills Have Eyes" Southern Justice "Meth Manhunt" Southern Justice "You Use, You Lose" Southern Justice "All in the Family" SouthJustice "Blue Ridge Bloodshed" Southern Justice "Blue Ridge Bandit" Shrek (2001, Animated) Voices of Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Mike Myers. Shrek 2 (‘04, Animated) Voices of Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Mike Myers. Bones "The Woman in the Whirlpool" Bones "The Life in the Light" (5:30) True Grit (2010, Adventure) Matt Damon, Hailee Steinfeld, Jeff Bridges. Gladiator (2000, Epic) Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Russell Crowe. Movie NCIS "The San Dominick" NCIS "Incognito" NCIS "Double Trouble" NCIS "Lockdown" Suits "She's Gone" (N) Modern Family Modern Family Cooks vs. Cons "Chicken Wingin' It!" 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The Messy Truth with Van Jones (L) CNN Tonight With Don Lemon CNN Tonight With Don Lemon The Messy Truth with Van Jones CNN Tonight With Don Lemon CNN Tonight With Don Lemon Tucker Carlson Tonight Hannity The O'Reilly Factor Tucker Carlson Tonight Hannity The O'Reilly Factor Shark Tank Blue Collar (N) Blue Collar Shark Tank Shark Tank Blue Collar Blue Collar Paid Program Paid Program Atlanta "Thelma and Louise Take Flint" Beverly Hills "Compromising Positions" Beverly Hills "It's Expensive to Be Me" Beverly "Boys, Blades and Bag of Pills" Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce (N) WatchWhat (N) Beverly Hills (5:00) Rome Adventure Troy Donahue. (:15) To Have and Have Not (‘44) Lauren Bacall, Humphrey Bogart. (:15) The Getaway (1972, Crime Story) Ali McGraw, Ben Johnson, Steve McQueen. Mrs. Miniver (‘42) (5:00) Jumanji (‘95, Fant) Robin Williams. Maleficent (2014, Adventure) Elle Fanning, Sharlto Copley, Angelina Jolie. Magicians "Knight of Crowns" (SP) (N) Incorporated "Burning Platform/ Golden Parachute" (SF) (N) (:40) The Magicians Cowboy TV Noble Outfitters Women's Rodeo Equestrian Nation Total Team Roping Rural Eve. News The Final Spin WesternSport Cowboy TV Noble Outfitters Product Showcase
