The first free-standing tsunami vertical evacuation tower in North America- Auntie Lee Vertical Evacuation Tower❤️ The Auntie Lee Vertical Evacuation Tower in Tokeland, Washington, is a lifesaving engineering marvel. Built on the Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe Reservation, it serves as a critical refuge point from potential tsunamis triggered by the Cascadia Subduction Zone. The above-ground portion of the double-decker tower stands 50 feet tall. However, because it is built on a peninsula with soft, sandy soil prone to earthquake liquefaction, its heavy concrete pilings are driven 55 feet into the ground to keep it stable The tower is affectionately nicknamed "Auntie Lee" as a tribute to Lee Shipman, the Shoalwater Bay Tribe's first emergency management director. She spent more than five years advocating, planning, and collaborating to bring the structure to life. It is the very first tsunami tower built by a Native American tribe. It is also the first structure of its kind to be partially funded by a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant, which covered roughly $3 million of the total $4.2 million cost Before the tower was built, it would take residents of the Tokeland Peninsula upwards of 90 minutes on foot to reach safe natural high ground. Because tsunami waves from a massive 9.0 magnitude quake could strike within 15 to 35 minutes, the tower reduces that trek to a quick 15-minute walk Despite its relatively compact 40-foot width, the tower's two designated observation decks can hold more than 400 people simultaneously during an emergency—serving local tribal members, Tokeland residents, and coastal visitors