PRESS RELEASE

Tsunami Preparedness Week is March 25 to 29, 2019, and the community is invited to City of Long Beach events and activities throughout the week to learn how to prepare for a tsunami.

“Everyone should be prepared for a tsunami by knowing where the safe zones are and how to quickly move to higher ground,” said Mayor Robert Garcia. “All residents who live by, work near or visit the ocean are encouraged to participate in Tsunami Preparedness Week activities.”

Tsunamis provide natural warnings. The occurrence of a distant or near-source earthquake is one of the first natural warning signs of a possible tsunami. A loud roar and the retreating of ocean water are additional warning signs of a tsunami. As a tsunami travels from the deep ocean and reaches shallow beach areas, it produces a vacuum effect and a loud roar as it sucks coastal waters seaward, exposing the ocean floor.

“When a tsunami is imminent, residents can generally reduce the likelihood of injury by quickly moving to higher ground or inland,” said Reggie Harrison, Director of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Communications. “Tsunamis are actually a series of waves, and the first one might not be the largest, which is why it is important to know the warning signs of a tsunami.”

Tsunami Preparedness activities in March include:

• The Long Beach Tsunami Walk and Resource fair, which will be held on Saturday, March 23, at the Will Rogers Mini Park (Appian Way and Nieto Avenue, Long Beach, 90814). The event will begin at 9 a.m. followed by a press briefing at 10 a.m. and a walk scheduled for 10:30 a.m. City staff and tsunami experts from various agencies will educate participants on how to prepare for a tsunami, the natural warning signs of a tsunami, and what residents and businesses can do to protect themselves. The event will end with a Fair that concludes at 12:30 p.m.
• Distribution of the Tsunami Preparedness Guide (available in English and Spanish) as well as presentations to residents and businesses in the tsunami inundation/flood zone on tsunami preparedness.
• Emergency notifications testing during Tsunami Preparedness Week by Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Communications staff, to residents in the tsunami inundation/flood zone who have signed-up to receive AlertLongBeach emergency notifications. Residents are encouraged to sign up for AlertLongBeach at alertlongbeach.com to receive a voice, email, or text message on their computer or mobile device in the case of a disaster or emergency.
• Tsunami preparedness content shared on the Department of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Communications social media channels and an educational Facebook Live @LongBeachDisasterPreparedness.

All 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 needed daily. 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 procedures. For additional information on tsunamis, inundation zones, and other disaster preparedness topics, those interested can visit the following website www.longbeach.gov/DisasterPreparedness.

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, Parks, Recreation and Marine, Development Services and more. The City also has a highly-respected university and city college, two historic ranchos, five hospitals, five golf courses, 171 parks, miles of beaches, marinas, bike paths, and a Bike Share program.

For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit http://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 preparedness, response, and recovery from major emergencies and disasters is completed in an effective and efficient manner.