Thursday’s magnitude 7.0 earthquake off the coast of Northern California had no catastrophic consequences despite tsunami warnings, but experts say it’s one of the most earthquake-prone regions in the United States. We’re calling on Southern Californians to prepare for what could happen.
As soon as Dave Snyder and his team at the National Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami warning Thursday, they began monitoring waters, checking specialized buoys and coastlines to see if shaking could trigger a large tsunami. I checked to see if it was.
“The worst-case scenario with something moving huge amounts of water won’t just affect San Francisco. It’ll affect the entire United States, the West Coast, Alaska, western Canada,” Snyder explained. did. “But beyond that, the recovery from such an event would be tremendous and take a long time.”
Experts said strong shaking is a natural warning sign or symptom of a possible tsunami. And people living in tsunami warning areas must evacuate immediately.
“Our obligation is to get the message out to the affected communities within five minutes where they could be in harm’s way,” Snyder said.
According to the National Weather Service, a tsunami warning means widespread flooding is possible, including dangerous coastal flooding and strong tidal currents, which can persist for hours to days after initial arrival. There is a possibility that it will continue.
If an earthquake occurs, people on the coast should evacuate immediately and avoid approaching coastal areas, as tsunamis can arrive within minutes.
Once a warning is issued, people should evacuate one mile inland or to higher ground 100 feet above sea level while awaiting further information, Snyder said.
People living in tsunami-hazardous areas should also have an emergency communication and evacuation plan in place, and a route to safety.
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