What did we learn? Humboldt County emergency personnel react to yesterday's earthquake and tsunami threat | Lost Coast Outpost

Do you know your area? | Screenshot of tsunami hazard area map.

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When a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck the North Coast Thursday morning, staff at the National Tsunami Warning Center (NTWC) in Alaska jumped into action, immediately issuing a tsunami warning for an estimated 5.3 million people in coastal communities across northern California and southern Oregon. Hundreds — perhaps thousands — of Humboldt County residents fled their homes and offices in a chaotic search for higher ground, snarling traffic on Highway 101 in Eureka.

After evaluating tsunami forecast models and water levels from offshore buoys for about an hour, the NTWC determined that there was no tsunami threat on the West Coast and the warning was canceled at 11:55 a.m.

Humboldt County has not experienced an earthquake of this size since April 25, 1992, when a series of 7.2, 6.6 and 6.5 magnitude quakes struck Cape Mendocino, destroying dozens of homes in the Mattole and Eel river valleys. However, it is clear that the size of an earthquake does not always mean it is more destructive. The 6.4 magnitude earthquake that occurred on December 20, 2022 caused much more structural damage than yesterday's quake, although it was of significantly lower magnitude.

[CLARIFICATION: As one of our readers points out in the comment section below, in June 2005, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck 80 miles west of Crescent City, prompting evacuations in low-lying areas. However, there were no reports of serious damage.]

In the hours following yesterday's quake, some locals took to Facebook and other social media platforms to accuse the National Weather Service, public safety agencies and local media organizations of fear mongering and blowing the whole thing out of proportion.

“I was born and raised here,” one person wrote in the Facebook comments section. “I knew the earthquake was not strong enough to cause a tsunami large enough to cause mass hysteria and panic.”

Ryan Aylward, warning coordination meteorologist at the National Weather Service (NWS) office in Eureka, disputed the idea that the quake was not “strong enough” to cause a tsunami, adding that the Tsunami Warning Center typically issues a tsunami warning following the coast. . Earthquakes of magnitude 6.5, 7.0 or greater.

“There was no doubt in anyone's mind here that this earthquake was large enough to cause a tsunami. It wasn't even a question,” Aylward told the outpost in a phone interview. “It was a very real threat, and we are very grateful that it was a small tsunami.” very”.

When an earthquake occurs, the good folks at Alaska's NTWC evaluate the location and magnitude of the quake, as well as the tsunami history of the area, and decide whether an alert should be issued.

Photo: National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration.

“We have Cascadia [subduction zone] “We know that this is what happened right off our coast, and we know that in 1992 an earthquake created a tsunami at the head there that was three feet high,” Aylward said. “In this case, the first indication was that the magnitude of the earthquake was 7.3 in roughly the same place as in 1992. So, in those first five minutes, they had to make a decision, and they made the decision to issue a warning because they felt a tsunami could be generated.”

After the tsunami warning was issued at 10:51 a.m., NTWC and NWS crews monitored wave activity from offshore buoys and tide gauge stations on the North Spit of Humboldt Bay and even in Crescent City, but fortunately, no unusual activity was detected.

“We detected a nine-centimeter wave at Point Arena in Mendocino County, but it was small enough that the tsunami warning center decided to cancel the warning after about an hour,” Aylward said. “It takes, you know, 10 to 20 minutes for the waves to arrive, and then you have to wait and see. An hour is how long it takes to analyze the waves and make a decision.

The Humboldt County Office of Emergency Services (OES) issued its own tsunami warning about 45 minutes after the national alert. Asked why it took so long, Emergency Services Program Manager Ryan Derby told Outpost that OES “must contact the appropriate agencies to verify if there is a tsunami threat before sending out a Humboldt Alert,” which “may take some time.”

Shortly after the tsunami warning was lifted, one of California's ALERTC cameras captured video, shown below, of Humboldt Bay appearing to recede, a possible indicator of a tsunami.

“It looks like something happened, but we don't know what it is. The folks at the California Geological Survey will look into this further, but my first guess is it's a stagnation,” Aylward said, referring to a standing wave, usually They are caused by winds, which move back and forth across a partially or completely enclosed area of ​​a body of water, such as a lake or bay. “We haven't seen anything at the tide gauge… but we don't really know at this point.”

Asked how he felt about the response to yesterday's earthquake, Aylward acknowledged the chaos that ensued on Highway 101 in downtown Eureka and on the Samoa Bridge when traffic was congested and urged people to evacuate on foot.

“Yesterday, we saw a lot of people driving and getting stuck in traffic, especially on the Samoa Bridge. You don't want to go through a tsunami zone to get to higher ground.” “Knowing your evacuation route and knowing the closest place to where you live is really important. One day a big tsunami will hit and people must respond in the right way and follow evacuation routes, otherwise they will be stuck in their cars in traffic when the waves arrive.

If you are not in a tsunami zone, do not evacuate. “If you're right on the edge of the area and don't feel comfortable, keep going,” Aylward added. “But if you're out of the area forcefully, you don't have to leave.”

Not sure if your home is located in a tsunami zone? See the state's interactive tsunami hazard area map – linked here. Additional resources can be found on the Redwood Coast Tsunami Task Force website and at: Ready.gov/earthquakes.

You can also check out this thread on X, formerly known as Twitter, from NWS Bay Area about yesterday's emergency response.

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