Tsunami Preparedness

Our hearts at More Prepared go out to all of those affected by the recent earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan. With thousands of lives lost and countless others drastically changed, Mother Nature has proven once again that we are at her complete mercy.

A natural, or unnatural, disaster can occur in the blink of an eye—with or without warning. Even with the all the advancements in technology, some events are simply unpredictable. And, with that in mind, that is why we at More Prepared do what we do. We offer survival gear and survival education in order to prepare you for any natural or unnatural disaster. For now, given the recent events, we’ll focus on tsunamis.

First, you should know what a tsunami is.

• A tsunami is a series of waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of water. It’s not one, enormous rogue wave. In fact, a tsunami will look more like rapidly rising water than towering waves. The displacement is usually caused by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other underwater explosions, landslides, meteorite ocean impacts, and any other large disturbance below or above water.

Know if you’re in a tsunami risk area.

• Naturally some areas, like Japan, are more prone to tsunamis, but any low-lying coastal area is technically a tsunami risk area

If you’re in a risk area, you should:

• Know your home, office, and children’s school’s exact height above sea level. You should also know our distance from the coast. During a tsunami warning, evacuation orders may be based on these numbers.

• Plan and practice evacuation routes. As a general rule of thumb, you should try to get at least 100 ft. above sea level and 2 miles from the coast, if possible. Know the best way to reach these destinations by car or by foot.

• As you would with any disaster, remember to save yourself, not your belongings. With that being said, be sure to grab a radio and any survival gear if possible.

CAUTION—if there is a noticeable rapid recession in water away from the shoreline, this is nature’s tsunami warning and it should be heeded.

As we’ve seen with the tragic events in Japan, a tsunami can have a devastating impact on an entire nation. Nothing can protect us entirely from the nature’s destructive path; however, we can prepare ourselves with the proper survival gear and education to ensure that only the minimal amount of damage is incurred.