California Dreamin': How Often Does the Dream Turn into a Wet Nightmare (from Tsunamis, That Is)?
Ah, California. The land of sunshine, surf...and, well, let's not forget the occasional earthquake. But what about those monstrous waves, those titans of the tide – tsunamis? How often do these watery wrecking balls come crashing down on California's coastline, turning beach bonfires into soggy SOS situations?
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| How Often Do Tsunamis Occur In California |
Buckle Up, Because We're Diving into Tsunami Territory
The good news, my fellow Californians (and tourists who don't want their vacation home to become an aquarium), is that full-blown, devastation-dealing tsunamis aren't exactly a daily occurrence. We're talking more like a "once-in-a-blue-moon-and-you-better-be-wearing-floaties" kind of situation.
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Here's the gist:
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- Over 80 tsunamis have tickled California's toes throughout history. That's a lot of wet sandcastles, but most of these were more like annoying ankle-biters than raging krakens.
- Don't let the numbers fool you. Most of these tsunamis were small potatoes, causing little to no damage. Kind of like that time Uncle Jerry tried to ride a boogie board and ended up face-first in the shallows. Hilarious, but not exactly a natural disaster.
However, California isn't completely off the hook. There have been a few times when things got a bit more serious:
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- 1964: The Alaskan Earthquake Sends California Surfing (the Bad Way). A giant earthquake in Alaska sent a tsunami rolling down the coast, with waves reaching up to 20 feet in Crescent City. Not exactly a perfect ten, dude.
So, Should You Be Stockpiling Floaties?
Probably not. But a little preparedness never hurt anyone (except maybe that guy who tried to outrun a tsunami on a Segway. Don't be that guy). Here's the short and sweet:
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- Know your evacuation zone. If you live by the coast, it's a good idea to know where high ground is and how to get there quickly.
- Have a plan. Talk to your family about what to do in case of a tsunami warning.
- Don't be a beach bum when the ground starts to rumble. Tsunamis are often triggered by earthquakes, so if the earth starts doing the shimmy, get outta there!
Basically, be smart, be prepared, and most importantly, be sure to pack snacks for your evacuation route (because let's face it, even an apocalypse is more bearable with a bag of Doritos).
Now, go forth and enjoy the California dream, minus the nightmare tsunami worries (at least for now).
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