Alaska Asking for Input on Updated Tsunami Guidelines

The University of Alaska Fairbanks and the state officials are seeking public input on new guidelines for how coastal communities should respond to tsunamis.

The Kodiak Daily Mirror reported that new modeling shows the potential for extreme currents and flooding if a large tsunami were to hit Alaska’s coastal communities.

UAF researchers and representatives from the National Weather Service, Tsunami Warning Center and Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management discussed the new information during a meeting in the Kodiak Emergency Operations Center.

The draft guidelines suggest different plans of action for tsunamis caused by earthquakes off the Alaska Peninsula and ones caused by shifts in more distant locations. Both plans suggest people head to high ground if a tsunami is imminent.