Tsunami signs along the roads of many coastal communities along the US West Coast. They mark any “tsunami danger zone” and often show those in the area evacuation routes that lead them to higher ground.
Those living in these tsunami zones are advised to familiarize themselves with evacuation routes and have a quick evacuation kit ready.
The California Emergency Services website notes that a tsunami can strike just 5 to 10 minutes after a major earthquake, and sometimes the first wave isn’t the biggest. It notes that if you see water coming off the shoreline and quickly out to sea, “escape to higher ground or inland immediately.”
The West Coast of the United States is where a number of Earth’s tectonic plates meet, and earthquakes are not uncommon. But a strong earthquake with a magnitude of 7 points is not usually observed in the region. Experts say that 10 to 15 earthquakes of this magnitude occur in the world every year.
According to the data, eight earthquakes with a magnitude of 7 occurred in the world this year data from the US Geological Survey, external.
The agency says it typically tracks around 20,000 earthquakes worldwide each year – about 55 per day.
The area has been hit by a number of strong earthquakes, including the 1994 Northridge earthquake in the Los Angeles area, which killed dozens of people and injured thousands and caused billions of dollars in damage to homes and infrastructure.
