Posted on 09/04/2013 5:53:38 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
A tsunami generated by a massive earthquake off Alaska could cause major damage to California's economy and force 750,000 people to evacuate, a report published Wednesday warned.
One third of all boats in California's marinas could be damaged or sunk, costing some $700 million in losses, while major ports would struggle to get huge cargo vessels out to sea in time to avoid being buffeted by tsunamis.
Experts from the US Geological Survey (USGS) based their damage assessment on the scenario of a 9.1 magnitude quake off Alaska's Pacific Coast, which it said was "hypothetical but plausible."
"In this scenario approximately 750,000 people would need to be evacuated, with 90,000 of those being tourists and visitors," said the report, co-published by the USGS and the California Geological Survey.
The number of tourists -- who would be more at risk because they may be less prepared for what to do -- would increase to millions in the event of a tsunami in summer months, when visitors flock to California's beaches.
"The good news is that three-quarters of California's coastline is cliffs, and thus immune to the harsher and more devastating impacts tsunamis could pose," said Lucy Jones, who led the study.
She also welcomed findings that neither of California's two nuclear power plants, both near the coast, would be risk under the scenario studied.
"The bad news is that the one-quarter at risk is some of the most economically valuable property in California," she added.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Not likely. The 9.2 Anchorage quake in 1964 did send a tsunami to California but it didn't destroy CA or the world. Neither did the biggest recorded quake in history, the 9.5 Valdivia, Chile event.
I might be in deep dodo.
Less than one mile from the ocean, about 10 ft. above sea level, if that.
Hopefully, it'll be better than the 1998 version, which truly sucked behind.
And the folks living on Malibu Beach have $10 million front row seats for the big show.
If you survive, you can always raise lobsters on your former beach front property.
Yeah, Mount Rainer, Mount Hood and the Three Sisters could do a Crater Lake forming explosion and wipe out Seattle, Portland and Bend. We better prepare for it as well. Move everyone out of the Pacific Northwest just to be sure.
Then blame it on GLOBAL WARMING.
The California coast has a higher population and massive amounts of tech......the devastation would be greater than a third world or isolated state.
The ripple would be felt world wide.
And an asteroid 2 miles in diameter striking Kansas would waste the entire country affecting the entire planet!
lol....
LOL!
Santa Barbara, like Santa Cruz, faces south.
If the wave came from the northwest, SB might skate by with no damage at all.
Let’s move the White Hut to Fukushima.
My feelings exactly. Sounds like somebody is short on funding again.
” massive amounts of tech....”
How would a tsunami affect the tech industry in the San Jose area and Silicon Valley?
Earthquake, tornado, hail and fire can all happen without being near a coastline.
That is why people have home owners insurance.
Flooding off Alviso from the bay, into Mountain View, Sunnyvale and San Jose
Then there is also the tech in San Diego and Goleta.
The wave would wrap in across Goleta Point and Rincon and make an amazing right-hander for anyone with the cojones enough to paddle out and try to surf it.
It would instantly melt billions of tons of snow and send a mud tsunami (”lahar”) straight down the river valley toward Tacoma.
Excellent. Goreball warming alarmists no doubt.
The good news is that I’m 30 miles inland at 600 ft. altitude in a relatively conservative area. Let her rip!
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