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  2 0 In Seattle a tsunami from the coastal earthquake should be pretty subdued because of the damping effect of the Sound. However along the coast it will be a different story. The next time you are at the beach you should ask the question, "If the big subduction zone earthquake hit now, what would I do?" Outline a strategy beforehand. After the shaking stops there will be about fifteen to twenty minutes to get to higher ground before the tsunami hits. Along most of the Washington coast there is high ground within reach. However, twenty minutes is not much time, so do not spend time grabbing valuables. Head for the hills! The Japanese quake had a 12+ meter tsunami in places. We could expect as much on the coast. The average telephone pole is about 20 feet tall. Try to get at least two telephone poles height above high tide. In some places even that might not be high enough. Lowlands will be inundated. Houses and other buildings will be destroyed. For those planning a vacation at a NW beach, required reading should be: http://www.ess.washington.edu/tsunami/index.html. It may not be so easy in places like Ocean Shores, Westport and Long Beach. Even though the tsunami evacuation routes are clearly marked, only the first ones in line will make it out in a worst case scenario. And that assumes the bridges are still intact. For accounts of what happened during the tsunami in Chile in 1960: http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/c1187/ This gives accounts of what did and did not work to survive. So, enjoy your next beach holiday! Bruce Schoonmaker answered in Earthquake! about 1 year ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question New comments are not being accepted at this time.

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