Tsunamis — Module 2 · Phase 2: During

Anyone in a coastal area exposed to tsunamis should know two kinds of warning: natural warnings and official warnings.

A strong or prolonged earthquake.

A sudden, abnormal change in sea level, which may appear as water rapidly receding or rising.

An unusual, loud noise or roar coming from the sea.

If an earthquake is happening, protect yourself from the shaking first. As soon as you can move safely, begin evacuating immediately.

Do not wait for a siren, a phone message, a social media post or confirmation from the authorities if the natural signs clearly indicate a possible tsunami.

During the emergency, stay informed through the official systems available —radio, mobile telephone, public alert systems, sirens or other means established locally— provided that doing so does not delay your evacuation.

Conditions can vary considerably from one place to another. For that reason, the instructions of the local authorities and the official hazard and evacuation maps take priority over general references to distance or height.

The fundamental objective is not to reach the same distance or height everywhere, but to leave the area susceptible to tsunami flooding and reach the safe area established for that community. Therefore:

Follow the official evacuation routes where these are available.

Head for high ground or inland, away from the danger zone.

Use the meeting points or safe areas established in advance by the authorities.

Where evacuation signs exist, follow them.

Do not stray unnecessarily from the route.

Keep moving until you reach the safe zone.

In general terms, evacuation on foot should be the preferred option when possible and when established by the local evacuation plan. After an earthquake there may be:

Evacuate on foot whenever you can do so safely.

Use the pedestrian routes identified in advance.

Do not use a car simply to carry belongings or to avoid walking.

Do not block evacuation routes or access reserved for emergency services.

EXCEPTIONS

An absolute ban on the use of vehicles should not be established for all people and all locations.

In certain circumstances, local plans may provide for vehicle evacuation, particularly where distances are very long, where there are people with reduced mobility or other specific needs, or where geographical and infrastructure characteristics require it. In those cases, the instructions and procedures established by the local authorities must be followed.

If there is an immediate tsunami danger, evacuate with whatever you have available at that moment. If the emergency backpack or kit is ready and you can pick it up without delaying the evacuation, take it.

No material object justifies delaying an evacuation in the face of an imminent tsunami.

Do not waste time:

One of the most dangerous behaviors during a tsunami threat is heading for the beach, the port, the seafront, a river mouth or any other coastal point to watch the phenomenon, take photographs or record video.

Never go to look at a tsunami.

If you observe an abnormal withdrawal of the sea, do not approach the shore or the exposed seafloor.

If you can see a mass of water approaching from a danger zone, your absolute priority must be to keep moving away and reach safety.

• Do not stop to photograph, film or live stream the phenomenon.

• Do not allow others in your care to do so.

The danger of a tsunami is not limited to the shoreline.

Keep moving away from flood-prone areas until you reach the safe area designated for the community.

Waves and currents can travel inland through:

For this reason, do not use river banks or canals as evacuation routes, unless they form part of a route expressly established as safe by the authorities.

The first option must always be to reach, by the established routes, a safe zone outside the flood area. However, a tsunami may be imminent and a person may not have enough time to reach high ground or move far enough inland.

In those circumstances, vertical evacuation may constitute a last-resort alternative, provided the city has a structure identified or considered appropriate for that purpose.

Where buildings or structures officially designated for vertical evacuation exist:

Go to the nearest one.

Use the stairs.

Do not use elevators.

Climb to the levels established as safe.

Stay away from windows and other items that could break.

Stay in place until you receive instructions from the authorities.

The absolute priority is to avoid this situation through an early evacuation. A person caught in tsunami waters faces extremely violent currents, rapid flooding, and numerous objects and debris capable of causing serious or fatal injuries. If, despite evacuating, the water reaches you:

Try to stay afloat.

If you can, hold on to a floating object that is sufficiently sturdy.

Try to keep your head above the water.

Protect yourself from being struck by debris and structures as much as possible.

Do not waste your energy trying to fight directly against a strong current.

If you manage to reach a stable structure or a high point, try to get to safety.

Do not consider the emergency over after seeing the first wave or after the water recedes. A tsunami may consist of a series of successive waves and currents, and the first wave will not necessarily be the largest. Dangerous conditions can continue for many hours. Therefore:

Do not go back to the beach.

Do not return to your home if it is inside the evacuated zone.

Do not cross flooded areas.

Do not approach to look at the damages.

Do not interpret the water receding as the end of the threat.

During a tsunami threat, children and adolescents need clear instructions and firm guidance from the adults responsible for them. There are two priorities:

Guarantee their immediate physical evacuation.

Prevent separations, delays and behavior driven by fear or confusion.

• Keep young children holding your hand;
• do not let them run ahead of the group or fall behind;
• if a child cannot move quickly enough, help them or carry them;

• babies should be carried in the safest and quickest way available;
• if an appropriate baby-carrier is already prepared and immediately available, you may use it;

• do not waste time looking for strollers, carriers or other items that are not immediately available;
• take particular care with cracks, debris, glass, wires, damaged structures and other consequences of the earthquake that may have caused the tsunami.

Adults should avoid loading children unnecessarily with baggage that could hinder their movement.

If a child's emergency backpack is already prepared, is light and does not affect the child's ability to evacuate, they may carry it. However, the speed and safety of the evacuation take priority over carrying any belongings.

Sirens, shouting, earthquake damage, crowds and other stimuli can provoke intense fear.

Simple phrases can be used, such as:

"We are going to the safe place."

"Give me your hand."

"Stay with me."

The responsible adult should:

IF THE CHILD FREEZES AND FEAR PREVENTS THEM FROM CONTINUING

• Establish direct verbal contact;
• give the instructions one at a time;
• physically help them to continue if you can do so safely;
• if the child is small and it becomes necessary, carry them;
• do not stay in place trying to persuade them with lengthy explanations.

During a real evacuation, do not allow a minor to try to go back for a toy, a backpack, a phone, or any other object of emotional importance.

When a tsunami threatens while minors are in the care of an institution, the emergency and evacuation plan established for that establishment must be applied.

• Begin the evacuation according to the established procedure;
• lead the minors along the planned route;
• take the records or lists of people only if they are immediately available and if doing so does not delay the evacuation;
• keep the groups together;
• take headcounts when conditions allow it;

• prioritize assistance to those who need additional support;
• prevent minors from leaving the group;
• head to the previously established safe point or meeting point;
• keep the minors under supervision until a safe reunification can take place according to institutional procedure.

If the child is already under the protection of an institution that is carrying out its evacuation plan, family members must not enter an area threatened by a tsunami to pick them up.

Doing so may:

• expose the family member to the tsunami;
• increase traffic;
• interfere with the evacuation;
• cause the child and their family to head for different places;
• make reunification more difficult afterward.

Family members must follow the official instructions and the reunification procedure established by the institution.

If it is not possible to leave the area susceptible to flooding and an appropriate vertical evacuation structure must be used:

"Send all the children up first" must not be applied as a general rule. On a stairway full of people, this kind of instruction can cause people to push past one another, shove, and create obstructions.

An inclusive evacuation must recognize that people have different abilities and needs.

A person may need assistance related to:

Do not automatically assume that every person with a disability needs to be carried, guided, or assisted the same way. Whenever possible, ask directly: "How can I help you?"

People who may need assistance to evacuate should have a support system and a pre-arranged procedure in place from the preparedness stage.

During an immediate tsunami threat, a system that forces other people to travel into a dangerous area to collect someone must not be improvised, unless this forms part of a safe procedure established beforehand and circumstances allow it to be carried out.

If you are part of a person's support network:

• follow the previously agreed procedure;
• contact them when possible without delaying your own evacuation;
• provide the planned assistance;
• do not expose yourself unnecessarily to the tsunami;
• do not leave a safe zone to re-enter a threatened area.

Needs can vary considerably; some people may use:

• manual wheelchair;
• powered wheelchair;

• cane;
• walker;

• crutches;
• prosthetics;
• other mobility devices.

Do not remove a wheelchair, cane, prosthetic or other assistive device unless it is truly necessary to get past an obstacle or avoid immediate danger.

If a route proves inaccessible:

• use the accessible alternative provided in the plan;
• request help where it is available;
• follow the person's own instructions on how to assist them;
• avoid lifting or carrying a person unnecessarily.

IF PHYSICAL TRANSFER IS ESSENTIAL

• Do not improvise potentially dangerous carrying techniques.
• Incorrect handling can cause falls, spinal injuries, joint damage or injuries both to the person being evacuated and to those trying to help.
• If there is immediate danger and no other alternative, ask the person —when they can communicate— to indicate the safest way to move them, and use the help of several people if available.

Do not assume that a powered wheelchair will necessarily be unusable after an earthquake. If it works and the route is passable, it may still be the safest and fastest means of mobility for the person.

However, emergency plans should provide alternatives for situations where:

• Do not take hold of or pull a person with a visual impairment without warning them.

• Identify yourself and offer help.

If they accept assistance:

• Ask how they prefer to be guided;
• normally you can offer your arm so they can hold on and walk slightly behind you;
• briefly describe obstacles, steps, changes in level, changes of direction and other hazards;
• use clear indications such as "step up", "debris ahead" or "we are turning right";
• do not separate the person from their cane, service animal or other mobility aid, unless there is an immediate safety need.

Do not assume that a siren or a message broadcast over loudspeakers was perceived.

To communicate an evacuation:

A written emergency message can be as simple as: "TSUNAMI — EVACUATE NOW — FOLLOW ME."

If the person uses sign language and someone trained to communicate with them is available, use that resource.

Noise, sirens, shouting, crowds, unexpected physical contact, and the sudden change in routine may cause disorientation, anxiety or overstimulation.

A written emergency message can be as simple as:

“GIVE ME YOUR HAND.”

“COME WITH ME.”

“WE HAVE TO LEAVE NOW.”

“WE ARE GOING TO THE SAFE PLACE.”

Avoid shouting unnecessarily, giving several orders at once, or providing complex explanations.

“We have to leave now.”

Assistance must not be limited exclusively to people with a recognized disability.

Others who may also need help:

When you can help them without compromising your own evacuation:

• clearly communicate that there is a danger;
• point them toward the safe direction;
• accompany them where necessary;
• adapt your pace when circumstances allow;
• request additional help if it is available.

Pets are part of many households and must be included in emergency planning. However, during an immediate tsunami threat there is a fundamental rule: the evacuation of people must not be delayed in a way that exposes their lives to danger in order to recover, chase, or move an animal.

If the pet is with you and you can evacuate it immediately, take it.

DOGS

Whenever possible:

• use a leash;
• preferably use a secure harness if the animal is already used to one;
• keep it under control;
• avoid retractable leashes during an evacuation in a crowd;
• do not let it move freely.

A frightened animal can behave unpredictably even if it is normally docile.

CATS AND SMALL ANIMALS

When possible, they should be carried in a suitable, secure box, bag, or carrier.

Do not waste time looking for a carrier if the danger is immediate and doing so substantially delays the evacuation.

The way the animal is moved must be adapted to the circumstances without compromising the safety of people.

Do everything reasonably possible to evacuate the animal without dangerously delaying your departure.

However, if a person faces an immediate threat and an animal makes it physically impossible to continue toward a safe place, protecting human life must be prioritized.

Children, people with disabilities, other family members, institutional staff or third parties must not be exposed to a tsunami in an attempt to carry an animal that cannot be moved in those circumstances.

If a suitable vertical evacuation structure accepts animals, and you can bring them without compromising the evacuation:

• Keep the dog on a leash or under control;
• keep cats and small animals inside their carriers when possible;
• prevent animals from interfering with stairs and circulation routes;
• keep them away from edges and other places they could fall from;
• try to keep them separate from other animals when there is a risk of fighting.

In churches, temples, clubs, associations, community centers, social organizations and other private institutions, the responsibility during a tsunami threat is to put the plan prepared before the emergency into action, not to improvise a new one.

The designated staff in charge must:

If you are in an area threatened by a tsunami when you receive an alert or recognize natural warning signs, do not stay in your vehicle waiting to see what happens. Follow the evacuation routes and procedures established for your area.

If traffic is moving along and the authorities allow or direct vehicle evacuation, continue to the safe zone, following official instructions. However, if you encounter:

• severe congestion;
• blocked roads;
• damage to the roadway;
• obstacles caused by the earthquake;
• a situation where staying in the vehicle is clearly delaying your evacuation

and a safe pedestrian route exists that will get you to the safe zone more quickly, leave the vehicle, as far as possible, where it will not block evacuation routes, and continue on foot.

Do not stay inside a car caught in a traffic jam when there is an immediate flooding threat and it is possible to continue toward a safe zone by other means.

If you feel a strong or prolonged earthquake, observe an abnormal change in sea level, hear an unusual noise coming from the ocean, or receive an evacuation order: leave the coast immediately.

Warn other people nearby if you can do so while you continue evacuating, but do not delay your own departure trying to persuade those who refuse to leave.

Do not wait to:

• see a wave;
• confirm the news on the internet;
• receive a call;
• collect your belongings;
• finish a recreational activity;
• take photographs or videos;
• find everyone you know who might be in the area.

Head immediately for the established safe area.

People visiting a coastal area may not know:

If you do not know the area and there is a tsunami threat:

If you are in a hotel, tourist establishment, campsite, resort or other facility, follow the establishment's evacuation plan whenever it is compatible with the official instructions.

Language barriers must not prevent evacuation. Institutions located in exposed areas should have understandable signage, pictograms and procedures that can also guide those who do not speak the local language.

Ports, marinas, docks, river mouths, and other coastal facilities can experience extremely dangerous currents during a tsunami.

If you are on land inside a port or marina and there is a tsunami threat:

• Leave the coastal area immediately;
• follow the established evacuation route;
• do not stay on the dock trying to secure a boat;
• do not go back to recover equipment;
• do not go near the water to observe changes in sea level.

The time spent preparing, releasing, or starting a boat may prevent you from reaching a safe zone.

If you receive an evacuation order or recognize natural tsunami signs, do not stay in a building located inside a threatened area simply because the construction looks solid. When there is time to do so, evacuate by the established route toward the safe zone.

Do not use elevators after an earthquake or during an emergency evacuation when there is a risk of:

The appropriate response for a person already at sea is not necessarily the same as for a person on land. A tsunami can behave very differently in deep water than it does near the coast, in harbors, and in shallow water. For this reason, no single universal rule should be set for all boats.

Decisions for boats depend considerably on local characteristics, the type of vessel, the location, and the time available.

If you are at sea and receive a tsunami warning:

The instructions of the competent maritime authority take priority.

In churches, temples, clubs, associations, community centers, educational establishments and other institutions, a disorganized evacuation can create additional risks. The previously designated people in charge must immediately assume their roles.

THE ORDER MUST BE UNMISTAKABLE

Use short, direct messages, for example:

"TSUNAMI ALERT. WE MUST EVACUATE NOW. FOLLOW THE DESIGNATED ROUTE."

Do not give speeches or lengthy explanations before beginning the evacuation.

During the exit:

During an evacuation, communication must combine urgency, clarity, and control. Do not shout contradictory messages or spread unconfirmed information.

Use operational instructions:

"We must evacuate now."

"Follow this route."

"Do not go back."

"Keep going until we reach the safe zone."

Communication is important, but it must not delay the evacuation.

When possible, brief text messages can be useful to tell family that you are evacuating or are already somewhere safe.

Do not spread information from unknown sources. During an emergency, rumors and false messages can cause unnecessary movements of people and disrupt the official response.

Telecommunications networks can:

For this reason, the absence of a notification on your phone does not mean there is no danger.

After a strong earthquake, aftershocks can happen while people are moving.

If new shaking happens:

• protect yourself immediately from objects that could fall;
• move away, when possible, from facades, poles, wires, walls, and damaged structures;
• watch out for landslides on sloping ground;
• when the shaking stops and you can move safely again, continue the evacuation.

If you feel an aftershock, apply the action: DROP - COVER - HOLD ON

Help when you can do so without becoming trapped in the danger zone. If a person can walk:

Help them up when it is safe,

accompany them,

continue toward the safe zone.

If a person cannot move:

• Request help from other people or from the emergency services when these are available;
• use the means of transport provided in the emergency plan, if any exist;
• do not carry out maneuvers you are not trained for, unless there is an immediate danger that makes moving them essential.

An abnormal, rapid withdrawal of the water can be a natural tsunami sign.

If you observe this phenomenon: Evacuate immediately toward a safe zone.

The withdrawal of the water does not mean the danger has passed. It may precede the arrival of a wave or severe flooding.

• Do not go closer.
• Do not walk on the exposed seafloor.
• Do not collect fish, objects, boats or anything else.
• Do not stay to photograph or film.
• Do not wait to see what happens next.

Do not interpret a first low wave as a sign that the danger is over.

A tsunami generally consists of a series of waves and oscillations in sea level; the later waves may be larger than the earlier ones.

Even when a wave does not look large, the associated currents can be strong enough to:

• knock people over;
• move vehicles;
• drag boats;
• destroy structures;
• carry large quantities of debris.

After a wave, the water may withdraw again toward the sea.

Do not go back to:

check on homes;

look for belongings;

look for vehicles;

photograph the destruction;

inspect damage;

locate pets;

help move objects.

During a tsunami threat or impact:

In the face of a tsunami threat, remember: