Tsunami advisory issued for California coastline
The west coast of North America has been issued a tsunami advisory, following a magnitude 8.7 earthquake that happened off the coast of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula.
The quake happened around 4:25 p.m. Pacific Standard Time and was followed by a series of large aftershocks.
Originally a warning was issued around 6 p.m but has since been upgraded to an advisory.
An advisory is the middle level of the warning system. This means that strong currents and dangerous waves should be expected and people should avoid beaches.
The advisory extends from Alaska down to San Diego. If a tsunami were to happen, the estimated tsunami start times are as follows:
L.A. Harbor, July 30 at 1:05 a.m.
Santa Monica, July 30 12:50 a.m.
Newport Beach, July 30 1:10 a.m.
La Jolla, July 30 1:15 a.m.
The City of Santa Monica says on a website dedicated to tsunami preparedness: “When a tsunami is detected, warnings will be issued by Wireless Emergency Alerts, radio, television, telephone, text message, and door-to-door contact by emergency responders”.
The website also says, “a tsunami can be detected by strong ground shaking, a loud ocean roar, or the water receding unusually far and exposing the sea floor. A tsunami may arrive within minutes or hours later.”
In the event of a tsunami, officials recommend evacuating to higher ground inland away from the coast as quickly as possible. If one can’t reach higher ground, seek shelter in a sturdy, multi-story building, on the highest floor possible.
A map published by the California Department of Conservation depicts tsunami hazard areas for the entire state, including areas in Santa Monica that should be evacuated in the case of a tsunami. The City of Santa Monica has designated evacuation routes for hazard areas.
The last major tsunami to affect Santa Monica and the surrounding coastline happened in 1960 following the Chile earthquake. The tsunami caused 4-foot waves, damaging the Los Angeles and Long Beach harbors, took the lives of two people, and caused one million dollars in damages.