Tsunami threat real in the Bay Area

Last month saw Tsunami Preparedness Week and officials want people to get informed about potential dangers. The state Office of Emergency Services has a established a site for residents.

The state has a map that shows the potential impact county by county. It also has a page on tsunami preparedness.

More than 100 tsunamis have hit California’s coast since 1800, state officials note. In March 1964 a 9.2 magnitude earthquake in Alaska sent a tsunami surging south, causing damage along the California Coast. 

Although the San Andreas Fault runs through part of the Bay Area, it poses only a small tsunami danger because it slips from side to side, not up and down. It’s the up and down motion that causes the massive waves, experts say.