Getting to Higher Ground

How to Prepare for a Puget Sound Tsunami

The stories of Tribal Elders and the research of geology experts agree – Puget Sound could experience a deadly tsunami the next time a major earthquake hits.

“If you are near the shoreline and the ground starts shaking, immediately drop, cover, and hold on. Once the shaking stops, immediately get to high ground and stay there until informed that it is safe to return,” says the Suquamish Tribe Office of Emergency Management.

Here’s some advice that can save lives in the critical moments following an earthquake.

Get to higher ground

What is the best evacuation route to take once the shaking stops? To answer that question, Suquamish Office of Emergency Management, or EOM, worked with state emergency planners on a tsunami preparedness plan for the Port Madison Reservation.

OEM identified areas within the reservation at risk for tsunami impacts and began raising awareness of the hazards and of ways to reduce impacts.

Installing tsunami warning signs was a key part of that effort. Traditional Suquamish knowledge and Elders’ stories informed the placement of the signs showing evacuation routes. These signs both serve as a reminder of the tsunami risks and provide guidance on the best evacuation routes.

Check out this simulation of how tsunami waves could hit west the Puget Sound.

What to do if you are on a boat when an earthquake strikes

When an advisory or warning is issued, the U.S. Coast Guard broadcasts it on VHF channels 13, 14, and 16.

If you are on land, tied up at a dock, or nearshore, leave your vessel immediately and evacuate inland to high ground. You do not have time to save your vessel and could die trying to do so.

If you are offshore, you might:

Feel shaking through the hull of your vessel
See a rapid or extreme shift in currents and changes in wind wave heights.

If you are far out on the water:

Head out to the deepest water you can reach
Proceed as perpendicular to the shore as possible
Sail directly into waves, keeping in mind that wind waves opposed by tsunami currents will be amplified
Maintain as much separation as possible from other vessels
Synchronize movements with any other vessels to avoid collisions.

Seattle Fault Scenario – How a tsunami could impact could our region. Click on image for full map.

East Passage Current Speeds in a Seattle Fault Scenario. Click on image to see full map.