Ring of Fireby AI Globe Report
Preparedness · NOAA

What to do if a tsunami is possible

Natural warnings and the official alert words, in the order a person on the coast actually needs them.

Not a forecast. This page explains published records. It does not say when or where the next earthquake or eruption will happen.

Steps

  1. Learn the four alert words before you need them. Warning means flooding may be widespread and evacuation is recommended. Advisory means stay out of the water and off beaches. Watch means a tsunami is possible, so stay tuned. An information statement usually means no destructive threat.
  2. If you are at the coast, trust natural warnings. A strong or long earthquake, a sudden rise or fall of the sea, or a loud roar from the ocean is your warning. Move inland or to high ground. Do not wait for a siren.
  3. If an official warning is issued, leave the shore. Follow local instructions. Flooding and strong currents can continue for many hours after the first wave.
  4. Do not use this website as the alert. Official messages go out on NOAA Weather Radio, tsunami.gov, wireless alerts, and local systems. The map here does not replace them.

What this is not

These steps are protective actions drawn from the cited agency pages. They are not a prediction that an earthquake, tsunami, or eruption will happen at a place you choose. Practice them the way you would practice a fire drill.

Sources