San Francisco leaders say alert system worked smoothly for tsunami advisory

SF assesses tsunami alerts

The tsunami advisory that impacted the Bay Area shoreline was lifted late Wednesday morning after a powerful earthquake struck Russia's eastern seaboard.

SAN FRANCISCO - The tsunami advisory that impacted the Bay Area shoreline was lifted late Wednesday morning after a powerful earthquake struck Russia's eastern seaboard.

San Francisco emergency officials confirmed that the city's alert system worked smoothly. Most residents received notifications about the tsunami advisory through alerts on their phones.

Following an 8.8 magnitude earthquake on Russia's Pacific coast, San Francisco's coastline is returning to normal after a tense night under the threat of a potential tsunami.

Mayor Daniel Lurie said the city can relax.

"Minimal impact from the tsunami advisory last night," said Lurie. "So, that is good news."

Mary Ellen Carroll from San Francisco's Department of Emergency Management said that the alert system worked as designed, getting the word out quickly alongside traditional ways of notifying the public.

"We don't only depend on technology," Carroll explained. "Yesterday, we had park rangers out, and the National Park Service was out on the beach. We had our public safety partners out patrolling and informing people."

San Franciscans said they want to be sure they are prepared for the next possible tsunami.

"If they're going to be talking about evacuating people out of the area, there needs to be public infrastructure," said Ru Quhoun. "That's all there is to it."

Earlier this year, the Department of Emergency Management updated San Francisco's tsunami evacuation routes with new signage.

However, the city's network of over 100 sirens, silent since 2019, requires up to $20 million in repairs and upgrades. Some residents wished for multiple notification methods.

"I would agree if it's a combination of the sirens and a message," said Suki Skye. "An alert to all the citizens of the city or of the county."

Emergency management officials noted that the sirens, even if operational, would not have been used for recent tsunami threats, including yesterday and last December, as there was no imminent danger.

"The sirens were never used, actually, for the entirety of the 50 years that we had them," said Carroll.

While the tsunami threat has subsided, officials advise staying out of the water along the coastline due to potentially unsettled seas over the next several hours, exercising caution.