Newport relatively tsunami-safe

City’s south-facing shoreline makes it less vulnerable to a deadly surge.Although California’s coastline faces a “significant threat to life and property” in the event of a tsunami, according to a study released Monday, Newport Beach appears to be in better shape than most of the state’s coastal areas.

The city’s geography reduces its risk from tsunamis that originate from the north, and Newport’s emergency response plan includes a plan to respond to a tsunami.

The study, prompted by the disastrous Indonesian tsunami last December, found that 1 million Californians live in coastal areas that are vulnerable to tsunamis. The report was issued by the California Seismic Safety Commission, a state body that advises California and local governments on earthquake-related issues.

“I think we are indeed exposed to significant damage from a number of different sources to a tsunami in California. That was a surprise to me,” said study chairman Donald Parker. Parker is also the chief of the Vallejo Fire Department.

Tsunamis are waves that are typically generated by earthquakes under the ocean. In California, 82 actual or possible tsunamis have been recorded, the report stated. No recorded tsunami has ever hit Newport Beach, though in 1964 “tidal surges” triggered by an Alaska earthquake caused moderate damage around Newport Harbor, according to Newport Beach’s emergency management plan.

For Newport Beach, the tsunami risk is considered to be low to moderate. Newport Beach’s shore faces south, which means the city is at less risk than other coastal communities from a tsunami generated from the north, said Katie Freeman, Newport Beach’s disaster preparedness coordinator.

Statewide, the Seismic Safety Commission reported, a tsunami generated by an earthquake off the Pacific Northwest coast poses the greatest danger to Californians.

But Newport could be affected by a tsunami with an origin near Hawaii or Chile, Freeman said.

The commission report covered the emergency response to a tsunami warning that was issued in June, and found “several gaps” in the abilities of emergency agencies across the state to respond to a tsunami. According to the study, problems relating to the June warning included potential for confusion with the national tsunami warning system and a lack of emergency planning in some areas.

On June 14, a tsunami warning was issued after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake hit off the Northern California coast. In Newport Beach, lifeguards went to work to get people off the beaches and piers, and a voluntary evacuation was announced.

Lifeguards were also watching for tsunami waves and communicating with the Coast Guard to learn if any waves had been detected, Freeman said.

Parker said one problem that local agencies faced during that 78-minute tsunami warning on June 14 was seemingly contradictory information from the National Weather Service’s Tsunami Warning System. The warning center in Alaska, which monitors tsunami risk along the West Coast, provided the warning. Another warning center in Hawaii indicated there was no risk of a tsunami.

However, the Hawaiian center does not provide information for the West Coast.

“That was confusing to a lot of local governments,” Parker said.

Freeman said Newport’s emergency agencies did receive conflicting information on June 14.

While Newport Beach’s emergency plans include tsunami preparations, the city’s firefighters, lifeguards and police have yet to conduct a tsunami training exercise, Freeman said.

“We have never exercised for a tsunami, but that one will be coming up,” she said.

In the aftermath of the June 14 warning, the Newport Beach Fire Department sought to improve firefighters’ ability to respond to a tsunami by acquiring weather radios for all of the city’s fire stations.

Newport Beach’s emergency plan lists Corona del Mar High School and Newport Harbor High School as potential evacuation sites. A map of possible evacuation routes indicates residents could escape the lower beach areas by using major northbound roadways. A map of evacuation routes and details of the city’s tsunami plans can be found by visiting the city’s website, www.ci.newport-beach.ca.us, and clicking on “Emergency Management Plan.”

“They [residents] can download a copy of that and place it on their refrigerator,” Police Sgt. Bill Hartford said.

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