Police prepare for disasters

In wake of a recent state report, tsunami danger is high on city’s safety agenda.Six weeks after taking charge of the Laguna Beach Police Department, Chief Mike Sellers said he has not met any surprises, and is actively working with his staff to handle community issues before they become problems.

Sellers said that not a week goes by that he does not deal with the prospect of a natural disaster occurring in town.

“It’s not a question of if, it’s a question of when,” Sellers said.

With landslides, fires and earthquakes common in Southern California, the prospects of a tsunami are rarely addressed.

A recent report from the State of California Seismic Safety Commission indicated Laguna Beach -- as well as most of the California coastline -- could potentially fall victim to a tsunami.

Police Capt. Danell Adams said the department has had a tsunami response plan in place for many years, but the devastating tsunami in Southeast Asia has put the issue back in the forefront.

“It needs to be put into perspective that the probability of a tsunami is extremely low, but that the consequences are high,” Adams said.

“When we had a tsunami warning a few months ago, our 911 lines were lit up for 50 minutes,” Adams said. “People shouldn’t be afraid, but they should be aware.”

According to a worst-case scenario laid out by Adams, an earthquake on the south side of Catalina Island could trigger a tsunami that would hit Laguna Beach within 10 to 12 minutes.

“Some waves can get up to 400 mile an hour,” Adams said, “but it’s the second wave that is the most disastrous after it sucks up all the debris.”

An evacuation plan is necessary.

“In the case of tsunami, the best thing to do is head for higher ground -- going to PCH to find a way out of town is not the best thing to do,” Adams said.

The City of Laguna Beach drew up a tsunami plan in the late 1970s, Adams said.

“The tsunami is an easy problem to address because the options are few.”20051216iriqv2knDOUGLAS ZIMMERMAN / COASTLINE PILOT(LA)Capt. Danell Adams, left, Capt. Paul Workman, Chief Mike Sellers and Capt. Mike Hall hold one of their regular meetings.