City of Santa Monica - Customer Services Directory

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500 - Creating an Emergency Plan
502 - Disaster Shelters
504 - Emergency Planning Checklist
506 - Flood Damage
508 - Getting Help
510 - Health & Safety After a Disaster
512 - How to Prepare for Earthquakes
514 - How to Purify Water
516 - If You Need to Evacuate. . . .
518 - Preparing an Emergency Car Kit
520 - Preparing an Emergency Supplies Kit
522 - Returning to a Damaged Home After a Disaster
524 - Tsunami Threats
526 - What to Do After an Earthquake
528 - What to Do During an Earthquake
530 - What to Do During Heavy Rains
532 - What to Do in a Haz Mat Incident
534 - When the Power Goes Out

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Emergency Preparedness/Disaster Services

524 - What To Do If a Tsunami Threatens

"Tsunamis" are large sea waves that can be generated by earthquakes and can travel long distances. Although tsunamis do not occur with every earthquake, they can cause great destruction to coastal areas. In the event of a local earthquake or a tsunami warning, people using or living near Santa Monica beach are advised of the following:

If you are at the beach during an earthquake lasting longer than 20 seconds, evacuate the area as soon as it is safe to do so.
If you are advised to evacuate because of a tsunami, do so immediately.
Stay away from the area until local authorities say it is safe. Do not be fooled into thinking that the danger is over when a single wave has come and gone--a tsunami is not a single wave but a series of waves.
Do not go to the shoreline to watch for a tsunami. When you can see the wave, it is too late to escape it.

For more information on dealing with emergencies, please refer to the other messages in this category, or contact the Fire Department's Emergency Services Office at (310) 458-8686.