First of all, you are on the Ring of Fire which is where likely the most earthquakes occur on earth in places like Chile and California and Oregon and Washington.
2nd, if you live in California there are periodic Great Floods where the Sacramento River becomes 20 miles wide (sort of like looking at Catalina Island from the coast of Los Angeles and Long Beach which is around 26 miles from L.A.
So, Earthquakes which can cause tsunamis are a big deal. My friend who is passed away now was in Hilo when People died from a Tidal Wave likely caused by an Earthquake too.
The main thing to know about tsunamis is that when the water goes out suddenly a mile or more you know to run the other way or else you likely will die.
begin quotes of 1960 Tsunami that killed many people in Hilo as my friend then 13 years old watched happen from his hotel room:
- Cause: An 8.6-magnitude earthquake near the Aleutian Islands on April 1, 1946.
- Impact: Arrived in Hilo about four hours after the earthquake.
- Casualties: 159 deaths in Hawaii, with 96 of them in Hilo alone. The tsunami also hit a schoolhouse at Laupahoehoe, killing a teacher and 25 students.
- Damage: The bayfront business district was nearly demolished, and the tsunami caused widespread destruction, leading to the loss of thousands of homeless people.
- Note: The 1946 event was one of the reasons a tsunami warning system was eventually created.
- Cause: A massive 9.5-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Chile on May 22, 1960.
- Impact: Reached Hilo, Hawaii, the next day after traveling across the Pacific Ocean.
- Casualties: 61 deaths.
- Damage: Over 500 homes and businesses were destroyed or severely damaged, with waves reportedly moving 20-ton boulders from the breakwater hundreds of feet inland.
- Note: This event highlighted the need for better tsunami preparedness and warnings in Hilo.
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