On a recent trip to Santa Barbara I noticed these signs all along the beach. They weren't there a year ago, and I imagine these were put up thanks to the earthquake and tsunami that happened in Japan on March 11, 2011. On that day, an article was published outlining tsunami risks in Santa Barbara.
The city started putting the signs up, along with a couple other coastal communities, in December 2011. They did it in an effort to become "Tsunami-Ready," to let people know, in an emergency, how far inland they must travel to be safe. Of course, the sign pictured above is located next to a park, and I wouldn't feel safe at this location. I would keep running. But the guidelines are a nice measurement.
I always get nervous now when I drive along Highway 101 between Ventura and Santa Barbara, because it's a road that runs along the ocean for a good 30 minutes with no way to travel inland. It's beautiful, I love it, but it's amazing that something that seems so peaceful can become quite violent and deadly. The Japan Earthquake, though terrible, woke us up to the dangers we face. There's a possible 1 in 7 chance in the next 50 years for an Earthquake off the Oregon Coast; it would have the same repercussions of the Japan quake, which would cause a huge tsunami along the pacific coastline. Where I live in Utah, scientist say there is a 1 in 7 chance of a 7 point magnitude striking the Wasatch mountain range, which I live next to, in the next 50 years. Crazy how both fault lines have the same percentage and odds. Over 90% of Utah's population lives along this mountain range. It's humbling and scary. We can't take anything for granted.
Sarah
No comments:
Post a Comment