Everything You Need to Know to Survive the Tsunami

Tsunamis can be very, very bad. Caused by earthquakes, underwater landslides, volcanic eruptions or asteroid impacts, these massive waves completely devastate coastal areas. They can disable the entire infrastructure in a matter of minutes, and almost everyone who gets into the waters of a large tsunami will die. The 2004 Boxing Day tsunami killed more than 230,000 people in Thailand, Sri Lanka and Indonesia.

If there’s anything good about a tsunami, it’s that there are often enough warnings to give you a chance at survival if you’re prepared, smart, and quick. Below are some rules of what to do before, during and after a tsunami.

Advanced tsunami preparation

Rule number one for tsunami survival is simple: head for the hills – move inland, to higher ground – so if you’re near a coastline, you need to know where the nearest hills are and when you should be heading towards them.

• Understand the risks: A tsunami can hit any coast, but some places are more vulnerable than others. In the United States , Alaska, Hawaii, and the northern coastal regions of California are at greatest risk, but nowhere is safe: the Boxing Day tsunami made landfall in places where there were no warning systems and no tsunamis in the past. The latest victims of the Boxing Day disaster drowned eight hours after the earthquake that triggered the tsunami in South Africa, 5,000 miles from the epicenter.
• Review evacuation plans: Some communities have tsunami evacuation plans. Find out what they are.
• Be aware of multiple notification systems . According to Dave Snyder, tsunami warning coordinator at the National Tsunami Warning Center, the best strategy is to “layer on redundant levels of communication and not rely on any one source.”
• Subscribe to the National Weather Service’s tsunami warning system: it’s free. Here is the link .
• Download the FEMA app: The FEMA app is available for both iOS and Android . It provides real-time tsunami and other natural disaster alerts, tips, shelter locations, and more. Plus, it’s free.
• Purchase NOAA Weather Radio . If you want to be more prepared for the weather, get NOAA Weather Radio . They are inexpensive ( this one costs only $11 ) and allow you to tune in to “a nationwide network of radio stations that broadcast continuous weather information directly from the nearest office of the National Weather Service.”
• Plan an escape route: If you live or spend a lot of time near the ocean, spend some time looking for the best tsunami escape route. Rule of thumb: Find the fastest way to get to high ground.
• Get flood insurance: If you live near the coast, get flood insurance for your home. Regular homeowner’s insurance does not usually cover flood or earthquake damage.

Recognize the signs of an impending tsunami

There are two types of tsunamis: distant tsunamis and local tsunamis. A distant tsunami can be caused by an earthquake far out to sea and can have a warning time of five and a half to 18 hours. This is enough time for official evacuation orders to reach you, provided you are somewhere with a public address system.

Local tsunamis are caused by earthquakes and other natural events closer to the coast, and warning times can range from 5 to 30 minutes. These are the ones where recognizing the signs of an impending disaster can save your life.

• Flashes : If the tsunami is caused by a distant event, the first warning signal is likely to be an flash or other warning through official channels. Take it seriously.
• Earthquake : If a tsunami has formed nearby, your first sign may be the feeling of an earthquake. If you’re near a beach and there’s an earthquake, when the ground stops shaking and it’s safe to move, go up to higher ground. Don’t wait to be told. Just go. The longer the ground shakes, the higher the chance of a tsunami, but don’t try to determine the odds: just walk. If you’re wrong, at least you’ve worked your way out.
• Rapidly Receding Water: Watch out for rapidly receding ocean water that is moving further than you would expect. If the ocean starts to roll back, so fast that you can see it, or so fast that the fish is washed ashore, as you can see in this video , you need to get to high ground immediately. Don’t look at the receding ocean wondering what’s going on. Don’t collect fish.
• Wave on the horizon: You can see them approaching, but the approaching tsunami may not look like what you think. “It’s a wave, but from an observer’s point of view, you don’t recognize it as a wave,” Vasily Titov, a tsunami researcher and forecaster at the National Tsunami Research Center for Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, told history.com . the ocean turns into a river of white water and floods everything in its path.”
• Listen to the roar of the ocean : If you hear a loud roar from the ocean, it’s either a tsunami or the wrath of Poseidon. Either way, you must run.

A tsunami is coming… what now?

• Take Action: Don’t look at other civilians to see if you should be concerned about a potentially oncoming tsunami – tourists on the beach are especially clueless – just go to higher ground.
• Decide how obligated you are to help others : You may feel the need to help others avoid an impending natural disaster, but should you? You probably don’t know what you’re doing and you could die, so instead of playing the hero, yell, “Inland! The tsunami is coming! over the shoulder while running.
• If you swim: If you feel a prolonged earthquake while swimming, this is not your lucky day. Try to grab hold of something that floats – a piece of wood, a raft, etc. – if you can, but, well… things aren’t going well.
• If you are on a boat: According to the government , if you are on a boat and a tsunami is coming, “face the waves and go out to sea. If you are in the harbor, go inland.” The logic of this advice is something like this: the greatest danger from a tsunami is near or on the shore, so if you cannot get your boat to the shore in time, go further. If you are already close to the coast and a tsunami is coming, you should get on land, disembark and go inland.

After the tsunami

If you’re heading inland and heading uphill at the first sign of receding water, pat yourself on the back first for acting quickly and decisively. Later:

• Listen to the Authorities : Listen on the radio for official information on what to do, where you should go to shelters, and any other instructions.
• Stay away from flood waters : Water after a tsunami is dirty, filled with harmful chemicals and disease, and can even be electrified. Do not touch it, do not drink or swim in it.
• Stay away from damaged buildings: Staying away from unstable structures is a good rule of thumb in any situation.
• Be frugal when using your cell phone: Cellular networks can go down during natural disasters. Send text messages or use social media to let people know you’re okay. Call only in emergencies.

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