September 29, 2009

Seal Beach, CA- Getting details and newsfeeds were minimal at best after American Samoa suffered a 8.0 earthquake off their coast on Tuesday afternoon.  I immediately referred to the NOAA’s buoy readings which showed the progression of the tsunami effects as it radiated outward from the underwater epicenter.  It took roughly nine hours for the first wave of the tsunami to reach the California coastline; that is literally as fast as a jet airliner!

A tsunami advisory was issued for all beach communities here in Southern California merely as a precautionary measure.  Most surf forecasters were predicting very minimal effects from the tsunami to be experienced here along the northern Orange County coastline.  Despite predictions, local communities including Long Beach, Seal Beach, Surfside, Huntington Beach, and Newport Beach took no chances and put emergency crews on standby alert.

At the Seal Beach pier, city lifeguards were supported by both fire and police teams as they braced for the first signs of the effects.  According to an article at SealBeachDaily.com, the beach was closed to the public an hour earlier than normal.  City lifeguard and police vehicles roved the sand to ensure the beach was vacated, and fire and police members were posted at the ready on the pier.  The city’s execution of safety and welfare measures was evident, and consensus from spectators concluded it was a reassuring sight.

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