Redwood Empire News

Residents of Humboldt, Del Norte, and Mendocino counties are set to engage in the annual North Coast Tsunami Drill on March 26 at 11 a.m. The event is organized by the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office of Emergency Services (OES) and aims to enhance earthquake and tsunami preparedness among individuals, businesses, and organizations.

Participants located in tsunami zones are advised to practice their evacuation plans by moving to higher ground or outside hazard areas. Those not in tsunami zones should remain where they are but consider their response strategies for potential earthquake damage.

The exercise will include a countywide test notification via Humboldt Alert, an opt-in public alert system. Residents are encouraged to update their contact preferences at humboldtgov.org/alert.

Humboldt County residents can check if they reside in tsunami evacuation zones using maps available at the Redwood Coast Tsunami Work Group's website.

Ryan Derby, Emergency Services Program Manager for Humboldt County OES, emphasized the importance of participation: “We encourage everyone to take part in this drill to test their response plans and ensure they know the safest actions to take in the event of an earthquake or tsunami.”

Individuals can register for the drill through a form on the North Coast Tsunami Drill’s registration website. The initiative underscores that emergency preparedness is crucial for saving lives during disasters.

Residents are also urged to sign up for Humboldt Alert for local emergency notifications related to evacuations and sheltering during disasters. More information about emergency preparedness is available at humboldtgov.org/prepare.

For further details on Humboldt County OES activities, visit humboldtgov.org/OES or follow @HumCoOES on social media platforms.