A Tsunami Advisory that had been in effect since Tuesday evening was canceled on Wednesday morning. It followed an 8.8 magnitude earthquake that struck off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on Tuesday afternoon.
Preliminary reports showed tsunami waves reaching heights of less than 1.5 feet above tide level in Oregon early Wednesday morning. There were no reports of significant damage or injuries in Oregon.
Officials on the Oregon coast urged people to continue to stay alert for changing and unexpected conditions on Wednesday. Tsunami waves, even those that aren't large, can be persistent and drive further up the shore than a typical wave. Tsunamis have the potential to produce residual waves long after the initial event.
Unlike the powerful quake off the California coast that triggered a tsunami warning along the southern Oregon coast in December, this week's tsunami originated across the Pacific Ocean. That meant emergency responders on the Oregon coast had plenty of time to get information to residents. The advisory meant there was danger on beaches and marinas but it didn’t mean people had to evacuate inundation zones.
“This event is a great reminder to take a few minutes today to make sure that you and your family are prepared for whatever’s next," said Jess Palma with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s office. "That could be an earthquake. That could be a tsunami, a wildfire, winter weather, anything.”
Palma advises signing up for local alerts, having emergency supplies and a plan for disasters.
The only town in Lincoln County with tsunami sirens is Lincoln City. Palma said they’ve learned from previous emergencies that sirens aren’t the most reliable way to get the word out.
“These alert systems have to be operated by a person. So with a distant tsunami, we have plenty of time to get notices out to the public,” she said. “We can send people to the local area to go door to door to knock and say, ‘hey it’s time to go.’ But with a local tsunami, there isn’t time to get those notifications out which usually includes activating those alarms, because somebody has to be there to start them.”
Palma said in the case of Tuesday’s Tsunami advisory, they did have emergency alerts. They also had information on their website and Facebook pages. They also used community partners, including schools and hospitals to get the word out.
Palma said the county will have an after-action meeting to go over this recent event to talk about lessons learned and best practices for future emergencies.
