North West Region Risks

Tsunami

​A tsunami (pronounced soo-nahm-ee) is a series of giant waves that happen after underwater movement due to a variety of natural events such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, and meteorites. The waves travel in all directions from the area of disturbance, much like the ripples that happen after throwing a rock. The waves may travel in the open sea as fast as 450 miles per hour. As the big waves approach shallow waters along the coast  they grow to a great height and smash into the shore. They can be as high as 100 feet. They can cause a lot of destruction on the shore. "Tsunami" is a Japanese word. Tsu means "harbor" and nami means "wave."

• Visit the FEMA library to download more facts about Tsunamis
• All Hazards Guides (PDF)
  • Grays Harbor County - All Hazards Guide
  • Grays Harbor - Guía Para Afrontar Todo Desastre
  • Pacific County - All Hazards Guide
• Tsunami Sirens
  • What are the Sirens? English (PDF) Spanish 
  • Sirens One Sheet English (PDF) Spanish 
• Surviving a Tsunami in the United States​
  • ​As is the case with other disaster and emergency situations, mitigating a tsunami’s effects primarily centers on advance preparation and getting resident buy-in through continuous engagement. 

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Flooding

• Do not drive your car, truck or van through flooded areas. This is the number one cause of flooding deaths.
• Check you NOAA Hazardous Weather Conditions

​Threats & Hazards

• ​Natural and technological hazards - Washington Military Emergency Management Division
• Washington State Enhanced Mitigation Plan - October 2013 
• Washington Department of Health Fact Sheets on all kinds of disasters (in multiple languages).​ ​

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