Tsunami drill to be held along Mendocino Coast Wednesday
A tsunami drill will be held along the Mendocino Coast on Wednesday, the Mendocino County Office of Emergency Services said.
Organized by the county, National Weather Service and the Redwood Coast Tsunami Work Group, the annual event tests the readiness of coastal residents if a tsunami is expected. The drill will also take place along the coasts of Humboldt and Del Norte counties.
The drill comes two days after San Mateo County launched its new Tsunami Hazard Area Dashboard on as part of a broader effort to better prepare for future tsunamis following last December's chaotic response to a regional tsunami warning.
The weather service issued a tsunami warning after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Humboldt on December 5, 2024. No tsunami surge was reported, and the warning was canceled within an hour of being issued.
An emergency alert will be sent via text message to coastal areas at approximately 11 a.m. Wednesday. The message will ask residents to practice their tsunami evacuation plan by moving from low-lying coastal areas.
According to the Redwood Coast Tsunami Work Group at Cal Poly Humboldt, tsunami hazard zones include beaches and waterways, including Noyo Harbor in Fort Bragg, Arena Cove in Point Arena, and parts of Mendocino and Manchester. Maps of tsunami hazard zones can be found online.
Residents not in tsunami hazard zones will be asked to practice their earthquake safety procedures. The drill will not include a test of the tsunami sirens, the county said.
Residents can register for emergency alerts at mendoready.org.
