Reducing tsunami damage
and danger

Fortunately, tsunami damage can be minimized through land use planning, preparation, and evacuation. Tsunamis tend to impact the same localities over and over again. Therefore, if tsunamis have damaged an area before, they are likely to do so again. One choice is to avoid living in or using areas with significant tsunami hazard. Alternatively, communities can review land use in these areas so that no critical facilities, such as hospitals and police stations, or high occupancy buildings, such as auditoriums or schools, or petroleum-storage tanks are located where there is tsunami hazard.

Following the shaking of the 1964 earthquake, Alaskans in coastal areas who did not feel the earthquake had little or no warning that a tsunami was on its way. As a result, the Alaska Tsunami Warning Center was established. The ATWC rapidly determines whether an earthquake in coastal Alaska may generate a tsunami, and gives a warning if necessary. If there is a warning, people should immediately evacuate inland or to high ground. The ATWC will begin issuing its warning about 15 minutes after an earthquake occurs, but that is not a fast enough warning if there is a local tsunami. People near shore who feel an earthquake 30 seconds or longer should heed nature's warning and quickly move to higher ground. People who are already on boats when an earthquake occurs should understand that the safest place to be is in deep, wide water where wave energy is diffuse.