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Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Yahoo
A tiny California city prone to tsunamis saw the highest waves in continental US after quake
Pacific Tsunami Crescent City SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A small California coastal city near the border with Oregon that has recorded dozens of tsunamis, including one that killed 11 people more than 60 years ago, saw little damage Wednesday as locals returned to their routines amid sunny skies in the town known as a tsunami magnet. Crescent City recorded waves of up to 4 feet (1.22 meters) early Wednesday — the highest recorded anywhere in the continental United States following an 8.8-magnitude earthquake centered off the coast of Russia's Far East hours earlier. Still, those were far smaller than the 21-foot (6.40 meters) waves caused by the deadly 1964 tsunami. This time, no one was injured in the city of 6,600 and there was no major flooding, with downtown open later Wednesday morning. A dock at the city's harbor was damaged, and officials warned people to stay away from beaches and waterways. 'A lot of people who aren't from here did evacuate. But they ended up coming right back because nothing happened,' said Rose Renee, who works at Oceanfront Lodge that looks out at the famed Battery Point Lighthouse. A surge of water lifted the dock off its pilings around 2:40 a.m., eventually submerging it, Harbormaster Mike Rademaker said at a news briefing. The dock was engineered to disrupt the waves' force before they reach the inner harbor and appears to have functioned as intended, he said. City has been tsunami magnet for centuries Crescent City is highly susceptible to tsunamis because of an underwater ridge, just offshore, known as the Mendocino Fracture Zone. The ridge funnels tsunamis into deeper water where they pick up speed before they hit the town. Forty-one tsunamis have been observed or recorded since the first tide gauge was installed in Crescent City in 1933. The oral history of local native peoples, geologic evidence and the written records of people elsewhere in the Pacific Rim suggest that tsunamis have battered this shoreline for centuries, according to city records. The 1964 event, considered the worst tsunami disaster recorded in the United States, began with a 9.2 magnitude earthquake in Alaska, according to the Crescent City website. Three small waves caused little damage, but then a big wave — nearly 21 feet (6.40 meters) — devastated 29 city blocks. The quake caused 15 deaths, and the ensuing tsunami caused 124 deaths: 106 in Alaska, 13 in California and 5 in Oregon, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Centers for Environmental Information. Crescent City rebuilt downtown, and today a walking tour highlights high-water marks posted on surviving buildings, objects pushed by waves and memorials to those who died. A tsunami caused by the March 2011 earthquake in Japan killed one person in Crescent City and damaged the harbor. Max Blair, a volunteer at the Del Norte Historical Society, which manages the town's museum and historic lighthouse, said locals have tsunami drills at least once a year. When there is danger of one, cellphone notifications go out and the tsunami sirens in the town sound warnings. Resident then turn to KCRE radio for information, Blair said. If ordered to evacuate, people move to higher ground, normally the town's Walmart about 2 miles (3.22 kilometers) from the shore. 'We evacuate if it's forecast to be a big wave. But the first wave was coming in at low tide and it was only a couple feet, so we just have to stay away from the beach,' Blair said. The city's website warns that a tsunami could happen anytime. Since most of downtown is in the tsunami run-up zone, if there were a near-shore earthquake, people would only have minutes to reach safety. Thirty-two tsunamis have been observed in the city since 1933, including five that caused damage. It is still not safe to head to the beach The greatest impact from the tsunami event along the coast Wednesday morning was around Crescent City with strong tidal swings, including up to 4-foot waves, according to James White, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service's Eureka office. Officials stressed that conditions may be improving, but it wasn't yet safe to head to the beach on Wednesday. There were still dramatic tide fluctuations that must carry high currents, the city manager said. 'It seems like whenever we have these events, it's also time that we lose someone just because they're in the wrong place and they get caught off-guard, and then they're swept out,' Weir said. ___ Brumfield reported from Cockeysville, Maryland.
New York Post
a day ago
- New York Post
Tsunami warnings fading after one of the largest earthquakes ever recorded — here's what to know
One of this century's most powerful earthquakes struck off the coast of Russia and generated tsunami warnings and advisories for a broad section of the Pacific, including Alaska, Hawaii and the U.S. West Coast and as far south as New Zealand. Now warnings are being downgraded in most areas, though advisories remain in place as more aftershocks are possible. The quake registered a magnitude of 8.8 and was centered off the coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia's Far East, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It struck early Wednesday local time, which was still Tuesday in the U.S. Here's what to know: What a tsunami is 7 The quake registered a magnitude of 8.8 and was centered off the coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia's Far East. AP Tsunamis are waves triggered by earthquakes, underwater volcanic eruptions and submarine landslides. After an underwater earthquake, the seafloor rises and drops, which lifts water up and down. The energy from this transfers to waves. Many people think of tsunamis as one wave. But they are typically multiple waves that rush ashore like a fast-rising tide. 'Tsunamis cross the ocean at hundreds of miles an hour — as fast as a jet airplane — in deep water,' said Dave Snider, tsunami warning coordinator with the National Tsunami Warning Center in Alaska. 'But when they get close to the shore, they slow down and start to pile up.' It could take minutes for waves to hit land next to the site of a major quake. It could take hours for tsunamis to cross the Pacific Ocean. The speed of tsunami waves also depends on ocean depth. They travel faster over deep water and slow down in shallow water. 7 Honolulu resident Adam Jung loads water and other supplies into his vehicle after authorities warned residents of the possibility of destructive tsunami waves. REUTERS People were urged to stay away from coastlines until any wave surges passed in places as far away as Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Federated States of Micronesia and Solomon Islands. Some tsunamis are small and don't cause damage. Others can cause massive destruction. In 2004, a 9.1 magnitude earthquake off Indonesia caused waves that leveled remote villages, ports and tourist resorts along the Indian Ocean across Southeast and South Asia. Some 230,000 people died. A 9.0 magnitude quake and tsunami ravaged parts of Japan's northeastern coast on March 11, 2011, killing about 20,000 people and triggering a nuclear meltdown. The power of this quake and its effects 7 Aerial view of Severo-Kurilsk, Russia flooded by a tsunami. GEOPHYSICAL SURVEY OF THE RUSSIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES HANDOUT/EPA/Shutterstock The 8.8-magnitude quake was among the four strongest earthquakes this century, according to the USGS. It was also the sixth-biggest quake ever recorded, said Simon Boxall, a principal teaching fellow at the University of Southampton's Physical Oceanography Research Center. The regional branch of Russia's Emergency Ministry on Kamchatka warned that scientists expect aftershocks at magnitudes of up to 7.5. The earthquake occurred along the Pacific Ring of Fire, the ring of seismic faults around the Pacific Ocean where more than 80% of the world's largest quakes occur. Several tectonic plates meet there. The ring gets its name from the volcanoes that surround it. 7 Vacationers stand on balconies at the 'Alohilani Resort looking towards Waikiki Beach after authorities warned of the possibility of tsunami waves. REUTERS While not all earthquakes lead to tsunamis, this one generated a series of them spreading outward from the epicenter off the coast of Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula. 'It's a bit like throwing a very, very large rock into the sea and then watching the waves propagate away from that rock, that splash,'' Boxall said. 'And so that's what's happened in this case. And that's why this particular one has generated a tsunami. It's not huge. It's not one that's going to cause mass devastation. But it will cause coastal flooding and it will cause damage, and it does put lives at risk if people don't move to high ground.'' The effects of this earthquake so far 7 Traffic builds on S Beretania Street near downtown Honolulu after authorities warned residents of the possibility of destructive tsunami waves. REUTERS A tsunami height of 3 to 4 meters (10 to 13 feet) was recorded in Kamchatka, while tsunami waves about 2 to 5 feet high reached San Francisco early Wednesday, officials said. Other areas have seen smaller waves. The International Atomic Energy Agency said initial reports showed there had been no safety impact on nuclear power plants along Japan's Pacific coast. Damage and evacuations were reported in the Russian regions nearest the quake's epicenter, and officials declared a state of emergency in several areas. Several people were injured, but none gravely, and no major damage has been reported. Additional aftershocks are possible, putting the entire Pacific Rim on tsunami watch. A tsunami warning remained in effect for parts of the northern California coast. 7 A woman lies down at an evacuation tower in Kushiro, Hokkaido, northern Japan after the Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami warning. via REUTERS Much of the Pacific coast of North America, spanning from British Columbia in Canada to down the U.S. West Coast and into Mexico was under a tsunami advisory. How tsunami warnings are issued In Hawaii, emergency authorities blast alerts to people's cellphones, on TV and radio and sound a network of sirens. In Alaska, some communities have sirens, and information is available on weather radio or public radio broadcasts. 7 Kite surfers at Ocean Beach in San Francisco during a tsunami advisory. AP In the U.S., the National Weather Service has different levels of alerts: — A warning means a tsunami that may cause widespread flooding is expected or occurring. Evacuation is recommended and people should move to high ground or inland. — An advisory means a tsunami with potential for strong currents or dangerous waves is expected or occurring and people should stay out of the water and away from beaches and waterways.
Hamilton Spectator
a day ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Rescuers race to reach injured German Olympian stranded on a northern Pakistan mountain
PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Rescuers comprising local mountaineers and porters resumed efforts on Wednesday to reach injured German Olympic gold medalist Laura Dahlmeier on a peak in northern Pakistan, officials said. Faizullah Faraq, a spokesman for the regional Gilgit-Baltistan government, said rescuers were racing against time to reach Dahlmeier despite bad weather on the Laila Peak, where she has been stranded since Monday following a mountaineering accident. Dahlmeier, who also won the 2017 women's biathlon World Cup , was climbing Laila Peak in the Karakoram mountain range when she was struck by falling rocks . Climbers including two Americans attempting the same ascent are trying to join the rescue operation. Military helicopters were on standby but have been unable to deploy due to low visibility and ongoing bad weather and rainfall, Faraq said. Dahlmeier, 31, will be brought to the city of Skardu when she is rescued, Faraq said. Local authorities launched the rescue mission Monday after receiving a distress signal from Dahlmeier's climbing partner, Marina Eva, who managed to descend to base camp with help from rescuers Tuesday. Dahlmeier was injured at an altitude of about 5,700 meters (18,700 feet) around noon Monday, according to her management team in Germany. German broadcaster ZDF reported she suffered serious injuries in a rockfall. 'There is still no clarity on her condition,' Alpine Club of Pakistan Vice President Karrar Haidri told The Associated Press. 'She sustained serious injuries, but she has oxygen with her, and injured climbers have been known to survive for days.' 'With heavy clouds choking the sky and rain falling on the high slopes of Laila Peak, rescuers are pushing through dangerous terrain to reach her,' Haidri said. Hundreds of climbers try to scale mountains in northern Pakistan every year and accidents are common because of avalanches and sudden weather changes. The region has also been battered by above-normal seasonal rains, triggering flash floods and landslides. Since last week, at least 20 Pakistani tourists have been missing after floodwaters swept them away near the northern district of Chilas. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
