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A 2021 map shows the impact of a tsunami that hit the San Francisco area – and the devastation it could cause.
The map is back in the spotlight after tsunami warnings were issued on Thursday following a magnitude 7.0 earthquake hit the California coast. This led to 5 million people being placed under a tsunami warning.
Interactive hazard maps published on the Internet in 2021 provide a glimpse of how many regions could be flooded if once in a lifetime a disaster strikes.
The California Geological Survey used the new technology to update its tsunami maps for the first time since 2009, when scientists could study the lessons learned from the 2011 Japanese tsunami.
“We are preparing for the worst case scenario. A magnitude 9.3 earthquake near Alaska would be the worst case scenario San Francisco,” said Adrienne Bechelli, deputy director of the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management. ABC7 at the time.
A tsunami caused by a large earthquake in Alaska would take about five hours to reach the city.
The impact on downtown San Francisco was more significant than the 2021 maps assumed. It was previously believed that areas in close proximity to the water, such as Fisherman’s Wharf, the Embarcadero and the area around the famous Ferry Building, would be hit by any wave.
However, the 2021 maps show water potentially reaching parts of North Beach and the Financial District up to Fremont Street.
The same goes for the entire region with waves hitting West Oakland and Lake Merritt. The entire Oakland container terminal and the city’s international airport would be submerged.
Tsunami evacuation routes, already marked throughout the Bay Area, will now need to be updated.
Bottom line: If you’re near the coast and feel strong shaking from a local earthquake or receive an official notice to evacuate, move inland or to higher elevation as soon as possible,” Rick Wilson, head of the CGS Tsunami Program, said in 2021. “A large tsunami wave might be fascinating to watch, but you don’t want to get anywhere near it.
The tsunami caused by the 2011 earthquake in Japan swept across the entire Pacific Ocean, wreaking havoc in Santa Cruz Harbor south of San Francisco, leaving extensive damage. Damage of about 100 million dollars was caused along the coast.
More than 150 tsunamis have hit the California coast since 1800. Most were barely noticeable, but a few caused deaths or significant damage.
The most devastating tsunami to hit California occurred on March 28, 1964. Several 21-foot surges hit the Crescent City four hours after a 9.2 earthquake in Alaska, killing 12 and leveling much of the city’s business district.