Could a Tsunami Swallow Your Home? See This California Map.
The Big One.
Those three words are common parlance for any Californian. Say it to anyone, and they'll know what you're talking about. What is it exactly? An earthquake. A catastrophic one. One that could spell disaster across the Golden State, projected to hit sometime in the near-ish future, and caused by the San Andreas Fault, a tectonic plate which stretches 750 miles up the California coast.
And although the majority of the San Andreas spans across land, there's also potential for an earthquake off the coast. In that scenario, tsunami waves are a possibility. But, with California's coastline being a coveted zone for communities and beachfront homes, just how devastating would a potential tsunami be? Well, a new report from the Los Angeles Times explores that.
The report relies on a recently updated, interactive map from the California Geological Survey (see above for the conceivable extent of a tsunami in Los Angeles; check out the entire map and zoom in to find your house here). Some people in certain areas, according to the experts, might only have 10 minutes to evacuate to higher ground to escape an impending wall of water.
'While damaging tsunamis are infrequent in California, they have and do happen. If you live on or visit the coast, you need to be aware of this potential hazard,' Steve Bohlen, former head of the California Geological Survey, reported when the tsunami hazard maps were updated.Based on the reporting the Times, they go into detail on how specific regions might be impacted by a potential tsunami – from northern, to central, to southern California. But perhaps more importantly, what should you do if a tsunami is barreling its way towards you? Here's what they say:
'If you're uphill or inland from the mapped hazard zones, you should be safe from tsunami. But those who live, work or recreate in a hazard zone should have an evacuation plan, especially since authorities may only have minutes to decide whether to order everyone to higher ground.
'If evacuation is impossible, your last resort could be going to the third or higher floor of a sturdy building, or even climbing a tree.'
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Marcos Magaña
Marcos Magaña is an environment, health and science intern at the Los Angeles Times through the CDLS Environmental Justice and Science Journalism Fellowship. He was born and raised in the Eastern Coachella Valley, a predominantly agricultural desert region in Southern California. His academic work has focused on issues closely affecting his home community, including environmental justice, spatial inequality and climate vulnerability, with a handful of articles published or awaiting publication in academic journals. Currently, Magaña is pursuing his doctorate at UCLA's Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, where he is investigating the biosocial dimensions of extreme heat exposure in low-income and racialized communities, with a focus on desert geographies. Outside of work and school, he enjoys watching Dodger baseball with his fiancée and playing on his friends and families' slow-pitch softball team.
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