Disaster Preparedness

Long Beach, CA – The City of Long Beach Department of Disaster Preparedness invites community members to participate in Tsunami Awareness Week events and activities, taking place Monday, March 27 through Friday, March 31, 2023, to learn how to prepare for a tsunami. Residents are encouraged to get informed, learn the warning signs of a tsunami and develop and practice an evacuation plan at home and place of work.

“Tsunamis are among our most infrequent hazards, but because Long Beach sits on the Pacific Rim, their threat is still a real possibility,” said Mayor Rex Richardson. “We encourage all those who live, work and recreate in Long Beach to discuss an emergency plan and prepare in the event of a tsunami.”

Tsunamis can be caused by a local or near-source earthquake, a far-source earthquake or a landslide under the sea. A near-source tsunami could provide as little as 15 minutes before it reaches Long Beach’s shore, whereas a far-source tsunami could provide up to 15 hours before it reaches the local shore. When a tsunami is imminent, residents can generally mitigate injury by quickly moving to higher ground or in land.

“Tsunamis, unlike earthquakes, provide residents with warning and some time to prepare, whether it be minutes or hours”, said Reginald Harrison, Director of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Communications. “Residents are encouraged to take this opportunity to learn the risk of a tsunami, understand the warning signs, create a survival kit, and practice an evacuation plan and a place meet in the event you get separated.”

By participating in Tsunami Awareness Week, residents will learn about the types of natural warning signs of a tsunami and their importance, how to plan ahead and protect themselves and their family, engage in active discussions, and learn about the official messages they can receive from the Alert Long Beach emergency notification system so they can take quick and effective action, when needed. Residents can also find out if they live in the inundation/flood zone and plan an evacuation route by visiting MyHazards.

To participate in Tsunami Awareness Week, people can:

• Get involved - Attend the Aquarium of the Pacific’s Tsunami Awareness Panel Discussion on March 27 at 6:30 p.m. Topics at this free event will include tsunami threats and warning signs, inundation/flood zones and what residents and businesses can do to protect themselves. People can reserve their free tickets by registering to attend ahead of time.
• Stay alert - Sign up for Alert Long Beach, the City’s emergency notification system, at AlertLongBeach.com. Residents living in the inundation/flood zone who sign up will receive tsunami test notifications during the week.
• Get informed - Throughout the month of March, Disaster Preparedness staff will canvass businesses and residential areas in the tsunami inundation/flood zone to hand out informational flyers and a Tsunami Preparedness Guide, designed for Long Beach residents to learn how to prepare for a tsunami, available in English and Spanish.
• Practice your plan - Practice a family emergency plan and learn basic emergency medical procedures.
• Prepare a go-bag - Residents should have a go-bag ready to evacuate when the need arises. The bag should contain essential items necessary for each family member and pets to be safe, comfortable and self-sustaining for up to five days.
• Share the news - Residents are encouraged to share tsunami preparedness educational content that will be posted on the Department’s social media channels at @lbdisasterprep.

Residents are encouraged to be prepared and self-sufficient for up to seven days following a disaster by creating an emergency supply kit filled with items that are used on a daily basis. Residents are also encouraged to join the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) or take classes through the American Red cross to learn basic emergency medical procedure. 

To learn more about tsunamis and other disaster preparedness topics, as well as a complete list of resources, residents can visit the Department of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Communications website or follow @LBDisasterPrep on Facebook and Instagram.

About the City of Long Beach
Home to approximately 470,000 people, the multiple award-winning and innovative City of Long Beach offers all the world-class amenities of a large metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods nestled together along the California coast. As a full-service charter city, Long Beach is home to the Queen Mary, Aquarium of the Pacific, several museums and theaters, a highly-rated school district, Long Beach Airport, the Port of Long Beach, as well as many award-winning City departments such as Health and Human Services; Parks, Recreation and Marine; Development Services; Public Works and more. The City also has a highly respected university and city college, two historic ranchos, five hospitals, 12 libraries, five golf courses, 169 parks, miles of beaches, marinas, bike paths and a Bike Share program.

For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

About Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Communications 
The mission of the Department of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Communications is to protect the lives and property of the community and first responders through comprehensive planning, training and communication to ensure that daily requests for emergency services, as well as response, recovery, and mitigation for major emergencies and disasters is completed in an effective and efficient manner.