What If It Had Happened Here?

Hundreds of people lined up near the Seal Beach Pier on Friday morning to watch the surge of water that linked California’s coast to the 8.9 earthquake and subsequent tsunami that killed more than 1,000 people in Japan 10 hours earlier. The irony wasn’t lost on the onlookers that instead of fleeing to higher ground in the face of a local tsunami warning, they were heading straight to the danger zone.

But why?

“This is kind of scary. They are expecting a big wave, but they are letting everyone stand so close,” said Seal Beach resident Diana Goldman as she watched big waves Friday morning. “How do they know it’s not going to blow in here as quickly as it did there? I mean, I guess they wouldn’t let us be here if there were a danger, but I am ready to bolt.”

Several in the crowd wondered how seriously to take the tsunami warning predicting a minimal 2-to-3-foot surge of water in Seal Beach.

“They say we aren’t to expect much here, but seeing the video footage from Japan, you realize they didn’t expect it either,” said Bob Dowis, an engineer with the Orange County Fire Authority in Seal Beach.

Because a tsunami is so unpredictable and because it is such a rare natural disaster in California, most people don’t know what to expect. In Japan, it was a matter of moments after the earthquake struck that the nation was devastated by the ensuing tsunami.

According to Seal Beach’s Emergency Operations Plan, the major threat from an earthquake is a process called liquefaction, in which major shaking blends soil and water, destabilizing structures above. Any tsunami affecting Seal Beach would likely be caused by an earthquake very far away, such as the Alaskan 8.4-magnitude quake in 1964 that caused 5-foot tidal surges in Seal Beach. In that case, it took hours for the tidal surge to reach Seal Beach.

Here is what happens when an earthquake triggers a tsunami warning in Seal Beach. State and federal authorities alert city officials to the danger, and an emergency operations center is created locally. One was formed quickly after Thursday’s disaster in Japan, and city staffers and police officers were locking down and monitoring the beach by 1 a.m.

“If there is a tsunami warning, we don’t wait for the sun to come up,” said Sean Crumby, Seal Beach Public Works director. “We come in and start preparing and discussing how to protect our residents.”

The command center coordinated with geological experts who studied the earthquake and assessed the local tsunami danger. Additionally, an automated reverse 911 call went out to Seal Beach residents, alerting them to the tsunami warning. If you didn’t get the call this morning, you may not be registered for Orange County emergency alerts. All phones in your household should and can be registered by signing up at OC Alert.

If the threat had been dire Friday, residents wouldn’t have been allowed to gather and gawk at the water.

“If the threat were more severe, we would have taken more drastic action,” Crumby said.

More drastic measures could include evacuating residents. Throughout Seal Beach’s tidal flood zone, there are signs pointing residents along the most direct evacuation route (look for them on the Greenbelt). To evacuate residents, officials would have gone door to door or used the emergency vehicle sirens and loud speakers to alert residents to the evacuation. A similar process was used a year ago to issue alert Seal Beach residents to the tornado warning when a small tornado touched down in Sunset Beach.

The Seal Beach Police Department offers these steps to prepare for a natural disaster:

1. Make a Kit 

Have a seven-day supply of:

• Non-perishable food (canned, no-cook, packaged) and a manual can opener.
• Water (1 gallon per person or pet per day)
• First-aid kit (including first-aid manual)
• Medications (prescription and non-prescription) and eyeglasses
• Battery-powered flashlight, radio, and batteries.
• Personal-hygiene items; toilet paper, paper towels and large trash bags for trash.
• Copies of important documents.
• Items for pets (food, water, cages/leashes).
• Items for infants (formula, diapers, etc.).
• Tools (including duct tape, neon-colored tape or rope to block off dangerous areas).
• Have smaller-sized kits for your car and workplace.
• Cash in small denominations ($1, $5, $10) (ATMS and credit cards do not work if the power is out).
• Fire extinguisher (A-B-C type).
• Protective eye goggles, gloves, face mask and hardhat.
• Whistle
• Change of clothing and sturdy shoes.
• Names, address and phone numbers of doctors and pharmacists.
• Camp stove or charcoal grill for outdoor cooking.
• Keep the kit in a sturdy and easy-to-carry container.

2. Make a Plan 

• Establish a plan for your family, and make sure that everyone knows what they should do, where all the emergency supplies are kept, where they should go or meet in case of emergency—and practice your plan! In some cases you may be asked to evacuate or to shelter in place. Remember to make plans for those situations too.
  • Practice your plan at least twice a year, and establish at least two places to meet after a disaster (one in the neighborhood and one outside of the neighborhood).

• Each adult in the household should learn how and when to turn off utilities, such as water, electricity and gas.
• Know your children’s school evacuation plan.
• Out-of-state contact information should be shared with family members so that messages can be relayed to loved ones if local communications are not available.
• Include your pets in your plan!

3. Be Informed 

• Know how local authorities will notify you during a disaster and how you will get important information. For more information on alerts and warnings in Seal Beach, go to the Seal Beach Public Disaster Hotline, at 562-799-4100, ext. 1121. This number is staffed during emergencies/disasters and can be called to receive more information during a disaster.
• Learn more about how to care for yourself in a disaster by signing up for Community Emergency Response Training: westcountycert.com 
• Learn more about hazards in your neighborhood and work with your neighbors to create your own neighborhood plans: Organized Communities and Emergency Volunteers at oceva.org.