Posted by Derek Sedillo on February 27, 2010 at 11:48 AM
I know most of you have probably heard about the Chilean 8.8 earthquake. But a tsunami advisory has been issued for the West Coast and Pacific Islands. I'm a California native and can't remember many tsunami warnings. While driving the Oregon coast I saw a lot of tsunami zone warning signs.
Looking at California tsunami history it looks like Crecent City was hit pretty bad by an Alaskan earthquake back in 1964. Hard to say if today's potential tsunami will do any real damage. But it is good to be cautious if going down to the beach.
For the Pacific Islands the threat level is definately higher.
Derek, major earthquakes can rival the most horrific events mankind has to deal with historically. The quake in Alaska was as large as they come IMO. I was there from 1966 through 1968 and got to see the vast damages first hand while there. In fact the 1964 Alaskan quake was reported to be only second in magnitude at 9.2 to the one in Chile in 1960 that was 9.5 in size. Being a west coast dweller most of my entire life and lived through many 5-7 range quakes in So Cal and Alaska, my imagination can only wonder what anything over 8.0 would be like.
Was hoping to go tidepooling, until we had heard about the quake and warnings that waves may arrive just around low tide time (not a place I'd want to be with surging tide, let alone a tsunami). I'm glad the warnings were just that (and no serious damage to most areas in danger), but feel for the folks in and around Chile. 8.8....that is freaking huge and I can only imagine...
Posted by Steve Sieren on March 1, 2010 at 10:34 AM
There are a lot of warning signs along PCH in the 3 northern counties of California. In Brookings, OR they have an alarm that sounds so they can make it to the higher ground.
In Long Beach the tide receded to 30 to 40 ft out to sea. The tidepooling would of been once in a life time but with no way out it could of ended a life.
Discussion
4 repliesLooking at California tsunami history it looks like Crecent City was hit pretty bad by an Alaskan earthquake back in 1964. Hard to say if today's potential tsunami will do any real damage. But it is good to be cautious if going down to the beach.
For the Pacific Islands the threat level is definately higher.
Derek
In Long Beach the tide receded to 30 to 40 ft out to sea. The tidepooling would of been once in a life time but with no way out it could of ended a life.