Tsunami
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The Pacific Coast, Strait of Juan de Fuca, Puget Sound, and large lakes are at risk from
tsunamis, trains of waves that threaten people and property along shorelines. Sudden
raising or lowering of the Earth’s crust during earthquakes generally causes a tsunami,
although landslides and underwater volcanic eruptions also can generate them.
Movements of the sea floor or lake bed, or rock fall into an enclosed body of water,
displace the water column, setting off a series of waves that radiate outward like pond
ripples.
Only as a tsunami approaches land does it become a hazard; in shallow water, it gains height as its waves slow and compress. Tsunamis do not resemble their usual icon, a towering wave with a breaking crest. Instead, they come onshore resembling a series of quickly rising tides, and they withdraw with currents much like those of a river. Swift currents commonly cause most of the damage from tsunamis. A Pacific Ocean tsunami can affect the entire Pacific basin, while a tsunami in inland waters can affect many miles of shoreline.
Tsunamis typically cause the most severe damage and casualties near their source. There, waves are highest because they have not yet lost much energy. The nearby coastal population often has little time to react before the tsunami arrives. Persons caught in the path of a tsunami often have little chance to survive; debris may crush them, or they may drown. Children and the elderly are particularly at risk, as they have less mobility, strength, and endurance.
Tips and Information about Tsunamis
| Vertical Evacuation |
Tsunami Warnings and Information
- Current Tsunami Alert Status (NOAA - West Coast & Alaska Tsunami Warning Center)
- International Tsunami Information Center (ITIC)
- Washington State Department of Natural Resource (DNR - Tsunami Evacuation Map Portal)
- Tsunami Evacuation Tips
- All Hazards Alert Broadcast (AHAB) Siren Information
- The Great Washington ShakeOut
- Learn more about tsunamis in Washington State (PDF)
- Tsunami Emergency Resource Guide Sheet (PDF)
Understanding Tsunami Hazards in Washington - Fact Sheets by County (PDF)
- Clallam County Tsunami Fact Sheets
- Clallam County
- Jamestown S'Klallam
- Lower Elwha Reservation
- Makah Reservation
- Port Angeles
- Quileute Reservation
- Sequim
- Grays Harbor County Tsunami Fact Sheets
- Grays Harbor County/ North Beach
- Aberdeen
- Cosmopolis
- Hoquiam
- Montesano
- Ocean Shores
- Quinault Reservation
- Westport
- Jefferson County Tsunami Fact Sheets
- Pacific County Tsunami Fact Sheets back to top
Tsunami Preparedness Information
- Earthquake and Tsunami School Resource Guide 2012 (PDF)
- Tsunami Preparedness Videos
- Tsunami Preparedness in Washington (Complete Video)
- Understanding Tsunami Warnings (Video)
- Understanding Local and Distant and Tsunamis (Video)
- Preparing Your Evacuation Routes (Video)
- Preparing Your Emergency Evacuation Kit (Video)
- Tsunami Preparedness Along the West Coast (USGS) (Video)
- All Hazards Guides (PDF)
- Guidebooks
- Other Resources
- Surviving a Tsunami - Lessons from Chile, Hawaii, and Japan (USGS)
- Sobreviviendo a un Tsunami - Lecciones de Chile, Hawai y Japón (USGS)
- How the Smart Family Survived a Tsunami
- Tsunami Trivia (PDF)
- Tsunami Survival Game for Kids
Tsunami Evacuation Maps by County (DNR)
- Clallam County Tsunami Evacuation Maps
- Grays Harbor County Tsunami Evacuation Maps
- Jefferson County Tsunami Evacuation Maps
- Pacific County Tsunami Evacuation Maps
- Whatcom County Tsunami Evacuation Maps
Vertical Evacuation
Project Safe Haven Reports
- Clallam County
- Grays Harbor County
- Pacific County
Final Report Cost Breakdown
- Pacific County Cost Estimates - Appendix A (PDF)
- Grays Harbor County Cost Estimates - Appendix B (PDF)
- Four Select Vertical Evacuation Site Estimated Costs - Appendix C (PDF)
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