She emphasized that residents should use the maps to zoom into specific areas and zero in on neighborhoods with highest risk. For example, in San Francisco<\/a>, places deemed at high risk from a tsunami include:<\/p>\n Another example would be the East Bay, where the city of Alameda is labeled as high risk, as well as parts of Oakland. In past tsunamis, places like Santa Cruz<\/a> have also been hit especially hard.<\/p>\n Your county may also have its own map to assess the tsunami risk where you live or work, including:<\/p>\n If you are in an earthquake, take cover<\/strong><\/p>\n While a tsunami in California could be triggered by an earthquake as far away as Japan<\/a>, tsunamis can also be caused by more local quakes \u2014 meaning you could technically face an earthquake followed by a tsunami in quick succession.<\/p>\n In general, the Bay Area is more likely to see a tsunami triggered by further earthquakes rather than local ones. And despite every Bay Area resident\u2019s anxiety about the \u201cBig One\u201d <\/a>hitting our region, experts told KQED in 2017 that an earthquake specifically along the San Andreas fault is unlikely to produce <\/a>a major tsunami due to the type of movement exhibited by these tectonic plates. However, the Cascadia Subduction Zone (PDF)<\/a> \u2014 a fault that stretches from Northern California to Vancouver Island, Canada \u2014 could pose a future earthquake and tsunami risk <\/a>to the state.<\/p>\n If you feel an earthquake<\/a>, drop, take cover under a structure like a desk, hold onto it and cover your head and neck (PDF)<\/a>. Do not stand in a doorway, since it cannot protect you from falling debris (PDF)<\/a> \u2014 and do not run outside, since you could get hit by masonry and glass (PDF)<\/a>. KQED has a thorough guide on how to prepare <\/a>for the next big quake.<\/p>\n Even during small earthquakes, if you are near a beach, experts recommend that you run to high ground \u2014 like a nearby hill \u2014 immediately.<\/p>\n Know your evacuation routes \u2014 and how long you have to flee the coast<\/strong><\/p>\n A large tsunami can flood a coast for a mile inland<\/a> \u2014 and even small ones can cause damage by sweeping up debris that can hit people.<\/p>\n A tsunami that\u2019s been triggered by an earthquake far away could take several hours to hit the Bay. But a tsunami that\u2019s triggered by a local earthquake will begin much faster and could only give you a few minutes<\/a> to get away from the coast before the wave hits.<\/p>\n The best practice during a tsunami warning is:<\/p>\n To plan an evacuation route, use the Tsunami Hazard Map<\/a> to determine if you live or work in a hazard \u201cyellow zone\u201d and how far you need to travel to reach a safer \u201cgreen zone.\u201d Bear in mind that you may need to evacuate on foot if the tsunami has been caused by an earthquake that\u2019s damaged nearby roads<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you are outside of the hazard zone when a tsunami hits, the good news is that you should be safe \u2014 and in fact, officials urge you not to contribute to traffic<\/a> by trying to evacuate, too.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019re away from the coast, stay away from the coast<\/strong><\/p>\n Don\u2019t return to coastal areas, even after the first few wave surges<\/a> \u2014 instead, wait for official word that it\u2019s safe to go back. Why: There could be more waves to follow, and it\u2019s hard to predict which wave will be the most dangerous.<\/p>\n This is advice you\u2019ve likely heard when preparing for a wildfire: Have an emergency kit prepared<\/a> to transport crucial items like food, water, medication and flashlights in the case of a tsunami. This is especially important if you live in a tsunami hazard zone and may not be able to return to your home immediately after evacuation.<\/p>\n KQED has a thorough guide <\/a>on what to pack in a \u201cgo bag\u201d in the case of a natural disaster.<\/p>\n Because of the federal Integrated Public Alert & Warning System<\/a>, emergency alerts \u2014 like warnings for disasters \u2014 should appear automatically on your phone.<\/p>\n You can make sure these alerts show up on your phone by heading to Settings and then Notifications. Usually, the list of government alerts<\/a> (like emergency and public safety alerts) are at the bottom of this page. Here, you can opt in and out of these alerts.<\/p>\n Reasons you may not get an alert<\/a> may be due to your phone being in airplane mode, using a VPN set to a different location or your cell service does not work with the warning system. Read more about troubleshooting emergency alerts <\/a>on your phone.<\/a><\/p>\n You can also sign up for state or county-specific alert system, like:<\/p>\n\n
If I get another tsunami warning, what should I do?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.kqed.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/03\/IMG_0542_qed.jpg\")
Have a disaster kit prepared<\/h2>\n
Make sure you are signed up for alerts<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.kqed.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/03\/Tsunami-Evacuation-2-pager-11x8p5-Landscape_BACK_Rev4_large__1596555142077.gif\")
<\/p>\nMore tsunami preparedness resources<\/strong><\/h2>\n