A magnitude 8 earthquake has struck off the coast of California, displacing a huge amount of water and causing a tsunami.
Within five minutes of the earthquake, the giant wave rushes towards the state’s coastline at speeds of up to 800 kilometers per hour, triggering a tsunami alert for an immediate evacuation.
About 30 minutes later, the tsunami engulfs coastal cities and disappears only an hour later, leaving a trail of destruction.
Although this was a simulated tsunami, residents along the California coast were able to experience it firsthand for just a few minutes on Thursday.
A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck about 60 miles off the coast of Eureka, rattling the region from San Francisco to southern Oregon. a tsunami warning for more than five million residents.
Many were told to evacuate or move to higher ground. Amy Palmer, deputy director of the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, said, “They did the right thing in this situation … it could have been devastating.”
The warning caused widespread, panicked evacuations for about an hour before it was canceled as experts confirmed no tsunami had formed, despite the earthquake creating the right conditions for it to happen.
The California Geological Survey has created maps of tsunami hazard zones along the state’s coastline that residents can use to better understand their risk.
These danger zones include Ventura, Oxnard and Malibu in the south, along with parts of the San Francisco Bay Area.
Scientists have warned that the major earthquake that hit California on Thursday is a wake-up call to prepare for a future tsunami. State officials have identified the areas most at risk
These maps were created based on an “extreme” scenario in which a massive earthquake in Alaska sends a towering wall of water toward the Golden State.
In Southern California, hazard zones include areas in or around Ventura, Oxnard, Malibu, Venice, Marina del Rey, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, Long Beach, Seal Beach, Sunset Beach, Huntington Beach and Nieuwpoort beach.
And in the San Francisco Bay Area, vulnerable locations include the westernmost areas in San Francisco’s Richmond and Sunset districts.
This also includes the Marina District and areas along the Embarcadero, which impact a significant portion of the Financial District and South-of-Market areas.
If a tsunami were to hit the San Francisco Bay Area, experts have suggested it would cause widespread destruction.
Communications systems would fail, hazardous chemicals would spill onto the streets and infrastructure would be destroyed.
Tsunami warnings are rare for the West Coast, but are much more common than for the rest of the country. This region is also overdue for a massive earthquake and resulting tsunami on the Cascadia Subduction Zone and/or the San Andreas Fault.
Scientists call this inevitable event “The Big One” because it would cause an estimated $200 billion in damage, 50,000 injuries, and 1,800 deaths.
Officials issued a tsunami warning for more than five million residents, sounding sirens and suspending service on the Bay Area’s commuter rail line via the underwater Transbay tube
The threat of “The Big One” is part of the reason why California officials are so vigilant about tsunami activity after a major earthquake.
Although the magnitude 7.0 earthquake wasn’t big enough to be considered “The Big One,” it was enough to cause a dangerous tsunami, Snider told the LA times.
But because there is no way to accurately predict such an event in advance, he and his team are exercising a great deal of caution, especially when an earthquake occurs near the coast, like Thursday’s.
Although the potential tsunami never actually occurred, the evacuation order reminded California coastal communities to always be prepared to flee in case a tsunami occurs.
The last time officials issued a tsunami advisory for the West Coast was in January 2022, when an underwater volcano in the South Pacific erupted, causing a powerful tsunami.
The West Coast is so vulnerable to tsunamis because of its location on the Pacific Rim and its proximity to volatile fault lines such as the Cascadia and the San Andreas (STOCK)
By the time the wave reached the California coast, its impact was damaging, but not devastating. It flooded streets and a parking lot in Santa Cruz harbor, ‘where cars floated around like toy boats’ Los Angeles Times reported.
The water also flowed into homes and damaged electrical infrastructure. Officials estimate the impact was about $6 million in Santa Cruz alone.
According to the US Geological Survey, the West Coast is so vulnerable to earthquakes and tsunamis because of its location on the Pacific Rim and its proximity to volatile fault lines such as the Cascadia and the San Andreas.
The majority of tsunamis that hit the West Coast are teletsunami, or huge waves generated by seismic activity more than 1,000 miles away.
These distant tsunamis result from large earthquakes around the Pacific Rim, also known as the ‘Ring of Fire’ because it is the most seismically and volcanically active region on Earth.
But tsunamis that hit the west coast can also be caused by nearby fault zones.
Because these rare events are virtually impossible to predict, it is important that residents know the warning signs of a tsunami and have an emergency plan in place in case a tsunami occurs.
The Cascadia Subduction Zone is a ‘megathrust’ fault that extends 600 miles from Northern Vancouver Island to Cape Mendocino, California.
Megathrust faults form when two tectonic plates meet and one is forced under the other. The Cascadia subduction zone marks the boundary between the Juan de Fuca plate and the North American continent.
The San Andreas Fault also forms the boundary between two tectonic plates, but is not considered a megathrust fault because these plates tend to move horizontally past each other rather than one sinking beneath the other.
This fault spans more than 800 miles along the California coast, from Cape Mendocino almost to the northern border of Mexico.
Both faults can cause massive earthquakes.
The largest earthquake to ever hit the Cascadia Subduction Zone occurred in 1700. This magnitude 9.0 earthquake caused a tsunami that swept across the Pacific Ocean and devastated the coast of Japan.
The San Andreas caused the largest earthquake ever recorded in 1906. Scientists estimate it had a magnitude of 7.9, and the violent earthquake that struck San Francisco caused massive damage and claimed 3,000 lives, partly due to the resulting fires.
Today, the West Coast is much better prepared for major earthquakes and tsunamis. Because these rare events are virtually impossible to predict, states have designed infrastructure to withstand them, setting up warning systems and evacuation routes.
It is important that residents know the warning signs of a tsunami and have an emergency plan in case a tsunami occurs.
The warning signs include feeling a large earthquake, seeing a sudden rise or fall in the ocean, or hearing a loud roar if you are on the coast.
The California Geological Survey says, “If you are at the beach or in a harbor and feel an earthquake, immediately move inland or to higher ground.”
“If strong shaking continues for twenty seconds or more, everyone in the tsunami evacuation area should evacuate as soon as it is safe to do so.”