1Get to safety
2Stay informed
4 Stay safe
3 Check damage
TSUNAMI
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DURING A TSUNAMI
1Get to safety
• If you are advised to evacuate, follow all instructions carefully and leave as quickly as possible.
• Go to your planned evacuation place or follow instructions for a recommended evacuation route, if issued. Your place of safety should be at least 100 ft( 30 m) above sea level or 2 miles( 3.2 km) inland.
2Stay informed
• Keep listening to your radio for updated local information and official instructions.
• Stay inland and on high ground until the official all-clear is given.
• Be aware that a tsunami is not just one wave, but a series of waves, so the risk of danger may continue for hours. People who return to their homes after the first wave( often not the biggest) risk drowning.
! If you feel an earthquake on the coast
• Drop to the ground, crawl to a sturdy shelter, if possible, and put your hands over your
head to protect it.
• When the shaking stops, gather your family and evacuate. Move inland and to higher
ground as quickly as possible: a tsunami may be only minutes away.
• Stay away from any structures that may have been weakened by the earthquake.
• Do not leave your place of safety until an official all-clear has been issued.
4 Stay safe
• Do not use tap water unless you have been officially advised that it is safe to do so.
• Open doors and windows to help the building dry out.
• Inspect all your food and drink supplies and throw away wet items.
• If you smell gas, turn off the supply at the main, open your doors and windows, and leave at once.
• If electrical wiring has become wet or damaged, turn off the electricity supply at the main.
3 Check damage
• When you are allowed to return to your home, inspect the structure of the building carefully for cracks or weaknesses. Tsunami waters often damage foundations and walls.
• Enter cautiously because there may be hazards hidden under the water.
• Check for potential fire hazards, such as broken gas pipes or flooded electrical circuits.
DO’ S AND DON’ TS
DO
• Go as far inland and as high as you can to escape the water.
• Be careful returning home: the tsunami may have caused structural damage.
• Use bottled water until you are told that tap water is safe.
DON’ T
• Try to watch the giant waves come ashore.
• Leave your place of safety after the first wave: wait for the official all-clear before returning home.
• Enter your home with a naked flame: there may be a gas leak.