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Earthquake Guide: Tsunamis
A related threat
Major earthquakes present another major threat to coastal communities. Immediately following a big quake, there is always a chance of a huge wave called a tsunami.
These waves can attain heights of more than 50 feet and travel vast distances are speeds of up to 400 miles per hour. When such waves make landfall, they can cause massive destruction and loss of life.
• Survival kit checklist
Warning signs
- A major earthquake is a natural tsunami warning.
- A tsunami is not a single wave, but often a series of big waves.
- Approaching tsunamis are sometimes preceded by a noticeable rise or fall in the water level.
What to do
The Pacific Tsunami Warning System does not issue false alarms.
- If you hear a tsunami warning, evacuate immediately.
- Never go down to the beach to watch for a tsunami. When you can see the wave, you can't escape.
- If you are in a low lying coastal area, immediately move several miles inland. Stay out of the danger area until officials call an "all clear."
- Areas at greatest risk are less than 50 feet above sea level and within one mile of the shoreline.
Tsunami informational web sites:
International Tsunami Information Center
Pacific Marine Environmental Lab
The Tsunami Society
The Facts
- In 1964, an Alaskan earthquake generated a tsunami that caused more than $84 million in damage in Alaska and a total of 123 fatalities.
- The Tsunami Warning Centers in Honolulu, Hawaii, and Palmer, Alaska, monitor disturbances that trigger tsunamis. They track the summit and issue threatened areas.
- Most deaths during a tsunami are a result of drowning.
- Associated risks include flooding, polluted water supplies, and damaged gas lines.
- Since 1945, more people have been killed as a result of tsunamis than as a direct result of an earthquake’s ground-shaking.
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