TsunamiReady Communities
(as of January 7, 2005)

California TsunamiReady Communities

• University of California at Santa Barbara: The University of California at Santa Barbara was the first higher learning institution to be recognized as TsunamiReady. Situated on a coastal peninsula, UCSB is accessed (and exited) through the use of two roadways that are both less than five feet above sea level. Fault lines immediately offshore, coupled with low lying areas surrounding the UCSB campus make this coastal area particularly vulnerable to tsunami damage.
• Crescent City, Calif.: Crescent City, California is vulnerable to tsunamis because it is situated on a low-lying portion of a headland that concentrates the energy of approaching tsunamis. This community's vulnerability has been demonstrated by past events, most notably the 1964 tsunami that resulted in 11 deaths — the only known tsunami fatalities to ever occur in the lower 48 states. Crescent City was a good candidate for TsunamiReady status because it is a well defined, concentrated community with good evacuation routes, and because it had an existing culture of tsunami awareness.

Oregon TsunamiReady Communities

• Cannon Beach, Ore.: Cannon Beach is located on the northwest Oregon coast and is a popular tourist destination and host to thousands of visitors every week. The Cannon Beach Fire Department and city leaders have been very proactive in tsunami education and outreach. They have established tsunami evacuation routes, signage, inundation maps and marshalling areas in safe zones. The community has six tsunami warning sirens, which are tested on a monthly basis. This community conducts semi-annual tsunami and earthquake drills.
• Manzanita, Ore. (including nearby Nehalem, Ore. and Wheeler, Ore.): These three communities are located on the northwest Oregon coast and were just recognized as TsunamiReady in Oct 2004. Manzanita is also a very popular tourist destination. These three small coastal communities separated by only a few miles and worked jointly on their certification because they share resources (e.g., 911 center, EOC, etc.) and back each other up in terms of resources. The community leaders in these communities have also been proactive in their preparedness activities. They have established tsunami evacuation routes, signage, inundation maps, marshalling areas and also conduct an effective tsunami education and outreach program. They have three tsunami warning sirens and also conduct semi-annual tsunami drills in the schools and communities.

Washington TsunamiReady Communities

• Long Beach, Wash.: Long Beach, Wash. is located on the southwest coast of Washington State and has a very proactive tsunami preparedness program. The Long Beach peninsula is approximately 20 miles long and 3 miles wide. The county and state government agencies and city leaders have conducted a very aggressive tsunami education and outreach program to educate the residents and visitors of the threat. They have established evacuation routes, signage, marshalling areas, inundation maps, and conduct annual drills with the local schools and communities.
• Ocean Shores, Wash.: The nation's first TsunamiReady community, Ocean Shores is the most visited tourist community along the Washington coast. The community is vulnerable, resting on a sand spit which is susceptible to liquefaction. Of note, a major Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake and subsequent tsunami event would reach the shore of the community in less than 30 minutes.
• Quinault Indian Nation: The residents of the nation's first Native American TsunamiReady community are vulnerable because the tribal population resides at the mouth of the Quinault River. According to tribal legend, the January 26, 1700 tsunami inundated the tribe. A major Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake (such as the 1700 event) and subsequent tsunami event would reach shore in less than 30 minutes.

Alaska TsunamiReady Communities

• Seward, Alaska: Seward was the first community to be recognized as TsunamiReady in Alaska in January 2002. Seward’s mayor at that time knew firsthand of the disastrous effects of tsunamis, because he lived through the 1964 tsunamis as a young boy. During the Great Alaskan Earthquake, a section of Seward’s waterfront slid into the bay triggering a series of tsunamis that inundated the community a mere 20 minutes later. Twelve people were killed and the destruction was extensive — 14 million dollars (in 1964 dollars).
• Kodiak, Alaska: Kodiak was recognized as TsunamiReady in February 2004, and like Seward, the impetus for community preparedness is rooted in Kodiak’s painful memories of the 1964 tsunamis which caused great destruction to the island archipelago. Several Native villages were destroyed, and the city of Kodiak was seriously damaged where 158 homes were destroyed. Twenty-three people died in Chenega, about a third of the population of the village, and there were eight deaths in Kodiak, six of which were fisherman trying to save their boats from the 30-foot waves that overtook the harbor and waterfront. The death toll was significantly reduced in Kodiak due to residents moving to higher ground immediately after the earthquake; however, approximately 600 people were made homeless out of a population of 2,658.
• Homer, Alaska: Homer was recognized as TsunamiReady in January 2003. Homer is primarily a fishing, fish processing, trade and service center, and it enjoys a considerable seasonal visitor industry. During summer months, the population swells with students and others seeking cannery or fishing employment. The community preparedness activities associated with TsunamiReady are of particular importance in Homer, where they are thought to be most vulnerable to locally generated tsunamis. Homer is located across the inlet from a series of volcanoes, which are capable of producing tsunamis through debris avalanches, lahars or pyroclastic flows. Tsunamis generated in this way are likely to happen rapidly after an eruption and potentially without warning.
• Sitka, Alaska: Sitka was recognized as TsunamiReady in July 2003. Sitka’s location on the outer coast of the Alaskan Panhandle makes it vulnerable to local tsunamis and Pacific-wide tsunamis. Four major earthquakes have been linked to the nearby Queen
  Charlotte-Fairweather fault system in the last century, one of which triggered the largest tsunami in recorded history. The 1958 Lituya Bay earthquake, which was felt as far away as Seattle, Wash., caused a large rockslide depositing the contents of an entire mountainside into the bay. The gigantic wave that resulted scoured the shores of the bay down to bedrock and uprooted trees as high as 540 meters above sea level. Fishing boats were carried on the wave at a reported height of at least 30 meters over the spit at the entrance to the bay and tossed into the open ocean.

Hawaii TsunamiReady Communities

• Maui County, Hawaii: Maui County is composed of the islands of Maui, Lanai, Molokai and Kahoolawe. It was recognized as TsunamiReady in November 2004. The four islands of Maui County are vulnerable to locally generated tsunamis, most likely from the Big Island area of Hawaii, which would reach them within 15 to 20 minutes. Maui County is also vulnerable to Pacific-wide tsunamis from the Aleutian Islands to the north and from Chile to the southeast. These islands are vulnerable because of the large year-round tourist population, the main seaport and airport are very close to the ocean, and most of the main roads run near the ocean. Because of their vulnerability, WFO Honolulu, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, and State and County Civil Defense have conducted extensive outreach activities in the area. Maps of the tsunami inundation zone and evacuation routes for all four islands are in every telephone book.
• Kauai County, Hawaii: Kauai County is composed of the islands of Kauai and the privately owned island of Niihau. Kauai County was recognized as TsunamiReady in October 2004. The biggest threat to the county is from Pacific-wide tsunamis originating in the Aleutian Islands and Chile. To a lesser extent, Kauai is vulnerable to a locally generated from the Big Island of Hawaii. As with Maui County, Kauai is vulnerable because of the large year-round tourist population, the main seaport and airport are very close to the ocean, and most of the main roads run near the ocean. Because of their vulnerability, WFO Honolulu, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center and State and County Civil Defense have conducted extensive outreach activities in the area. Maps of the tsunami inundation zone and evacuation routes for Kauai are in every telephone book.