Eureka, CA – Phones will buzz, sirens may sound, and emergency systems will activate across Northern California’s coastline at 11 a.m. Wednesday as a coordinated tsunami drill tests readiness in three counties.
According to the National Weather Service in Eureka, the exercise will send test alerts through the Emergency Alert System and NOAA Weather Radio across Del Norte, Humboldt, and Mendocino counties. Officials say the drill is designed to simulate real tsunami conditions following a major offshore earthquake.
Residents along the coast, especially in low-lying zones near U.S. Highway 101, Crescent City Harbor, and Humboldt Bay, are urged to treat the drill as a real event. Emergency managers recommend walking evacuation routes to higher ground, particularly in areas where signage marks tsunami hazard zones. In Crescent City, one of California’s most tsunami-prone locations, past events have flooded downtown streets within minutes.
Those outside tsunami zones should stay put but use the opportunity to review emergency plans, including communication strategies and supply kits. Officials emphasize that real tsunami waves can persist for 24 to 48 hours, making early evacuation and patience critical.
The drill will not require actual evacuations, but agencies warn more alerts and preparedness campaigns could follow as the region heads into peak seismic awareness efforts this spring.
