5.0 earthquake off Oregon coast triggers memories of destructive tsunamis

Some may remember the Japan tsunami that struck the coast of Oregon in 2011.

Dozens of boats were found smashed up against each other while other boats sank into the ocean. Then, a six-foot-tall dock, believed to be from Japan, washed ashore in Newport more than a year later. Then in 2022, a volcanic eruption more than 5,000 miles away sent waves into the Oregon coast, which triggered a tsunami advisory.

“I thought it was going to be worse than what it was, but it was just the volcano erupted underwater, and it was ended up being a six-foot wave,” Steven Guasp, a cook at Newport Café remembered. “It was a reality check, really, was of the seriousness of what could possibly happen living on the coast."

On Thursday, a 5.0 earthquake struck. The U.S. Geological Survey said it happened about 75 miles from Coos Bay.

"My mom, she’s super worried about the tsunamis that could come. So, she was pretty stressed out about it,” Zachary Cromwell, manager at Newport Café, said. “I didn’t look at it as anything too substantial because I didn’t feel anything."

Earthquakes are common off the Oregon coast as it sits along the Cascadia Subduction Zone, but it is also a reminder how vulnerable the region can be.

Newport’s risk to a tsunami is about 100 times higher than the risk to a tornado anywhere in the U.S., according to FEMA.

“Since 2011, Newport, Oregon has worked to increase the safety of its residents and businesses against the threat of a tsunami,” a report from FEMA said. “In partnership with other public and private entities, the city identified and retrofitted a tsunami assembly area, ‘Safe Haven Hill.’”

The Oregon Office of Emergency Management said they have been working with cities and counties to help locals and officials prepare for the big one.
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Author: KATU News
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News post in at: October 20, 2024, 3:04 am.

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