How to Survive a Tsunami

A tsunami is a series of highly destructive waves that can cause significant devastation. These waves are typically triggered by underwater earthquakes or other underwater disturbances. In recent years, tsunamis have caused immense and unexpected damage. To survive a tsunami, you must be prepared, stay vigilant, and remain calm. This article outlines the steps you can take to increase your chances of surviving a tsunami, as long as you follow these guidelines and prepare in advance.

Research the Risks Ahead of Time. The key step is to determine whether the area you live in is at risk of experiencing a tsunami. You are at risk if:

• Your home, school, or workplace is located in a coastal area near the ocean.
• Your home, school, or workplace is at or near sea level, located on flat land or only slightly elevated. If you're unsure of the elevation of your home, school, or workplace relative to sea level, find out. Some local authorities use elevation as an indicator for tsunami warnings.
• There are signs suggesting your area is susceptible to tsunamis.
• Your local authorities have issued tsunami warning information.
• Natural barriers like dikes or sand dunes have been removed to make way for urban development.

Stay Alert If Tsunamis Have Occurred in Your Coastal Area in the Past. Research at your local library or contact your local government office to learn more. You can also check websites that provide information about flood risks online.

• Most tsunamis occur in an area known as the "Ring of Fire", a region in the Pacific famous for its geological activity. Countries like Chile, the West Coast of the U.S., Japan, and the Philippines are particularly vulnerable to tsunamis.

Prepare Essential Items in Easy-to-Reach Locations. In the event of a tsunami (or another natural disaster), you will likely need essential supplies to survive and must retrieve them as quickly as possible. Be sure to pack both safety items and survival gear.

• Prepare a safety kit. The most basic essentials include food, water, and a first aid kit. Store the safety kit in an easily visible, familiar location in the home that everyone knows and can quickly access in emergencies. Be sure to also keep a raincoat or jacket for each family member near the safety kit.
• Prepare a personal survival kit for each family member, along with a family survival kit containing items that everyone will need. Don’t forget to include necessary medications for each person in the family. Also, prepare survival supplies for your pets.

Develop an Evacuation Plan. Having a pre-established evacuation plan is crucial. When planning your evacuation, consider the needs of your family, workplace, school, or the surrounding community. If no plan currently exists in your area, start working on a community-wide evacuation plan. Take the lead in creating the plan and collaborate with local authorities and residents. The absence of an evacuation plan and local warning systems can significantly increase the risk of injury or death during or after a tsunami. A successful evacuation plan should include:

• Discussions with family and colleagues about various evacuation options. For example, you should know where to reunite with loved ones in the event of a tsunami.
• Regular drills to ensure everyone in the community knows what to do and where to go during an evacuation.
• A complete list of community members; ensure assistance reaches those who are ill or disabled.
• Ensure that evacuation signs and warnings are clearly understood by everyone. Distribute pamphlets with important information or hold educational sessions to raise awareness. Review earthquake-related guidelines.
• Plan multiple safe routes, as an earthquake may damage roads and infrastructure, limiting access to some evacuation routes.
• Consider the types of shelters available in evacuation areas, and whether it would be necessary to construct such shelters in advance.

Be Especially Cautious After an Earthquake. If you live in a coastal area, an earthquake serves as a warning, and evacuation should be initiated immediately.

Carefully observe the rapid rise and fall of sea levels. If the ocean suddenly recedes, leaving a barren sandy beach, this serves as a warning sign of the potential for an unexpected tidal wave to strike the shore.

Watch for unusual behavioral changes in animals. Keep an eye out for animals leaving their habitats or displaying strange behaviors, such as seeking human shelter or gathering in abnormal groups.

Pay attention to alerts from the community and government. Stay informed if local authorities issue a warning. Equip yourself with knowledge on how your local government will communicate alerts so you can avoid mistakes or missing critical warnings. Share these details with family, friends, neighbors, and the community. If local authorities provide manuals, websites, or other resources, request copies to distribute or ask them to take on this responsibility.

Leave personal belongings behind. In the event of a tsunami, save yourself, not your possessions. Avoid wasting precious time by leaving behind items that may hinder your evacuation. Grab your emergency kit, ensure warmth for yourself and your family, and leave immediately. Survivors of tsunamis act quickly and typically do not prioritize protecting their belongings.

Move deeper inland and head for higher ground. The first thing you should aim to do, if possible, is to move 'away from' coastal areas, marshes, or other water regions, towards higher land, even climbing hills or mountains. Move until you're at least 3 km inland or at an elevation of about 30 meters above sea level.

• Consider potential routes that may be completely wiped out by the tsunami. If you plan to use roads to reach your destination, think carefully. When a tsunami strikes, many roads will be destroyed, either due to seismic activity from the earthquake or the tsunami itself. Choose your direction wisely and consider carrying a compass in your survival kit.

Climb to higher ground. If you cannot move inland because you're trapped, try climbing higher. Although this may not be ideal since the spot you climb to might collapse, if there are no other options, ascend to the highest sturdy and solid buildings. Climb as high as possible, even to the roof.

Climb a sturdy tree. As a last resort, if you find yourself trapped and unable to move inland or climb to a tall building, search for a strong, tall tree and climb as high as possible. However, there is the risk that the tree could be swept away in the tsunami, so this is really a measure to be used only if no other options are available. The stronger the tree, the higher it is, and the sturdier its branches are for shelter (you may need to stay there for hours), the better your chances of survival.

React quickly if you're trapped in the water. If you can't evacuate and end up trapped during the tsunami for any reason, there are a few things you can do to try to survive:

• Grab onto something floating. Use any floating object as a life-saving floatation device. Items like tree trunks, doors, fishing gear, etc., can float on the water with you.

Chống chọi lại với những đợt dư chấn và những đợt sóng còn sót lại. Một trận sóng thần mang theo những con sóng. Có thể có rất nhiều, rất nhiều con sóng kéo dài hàng giờ và sóng sau thậm chí còn lớn hơn sóng trước.

Cố gắng nắm bắt những thông tin đáng tin cậy. Nghe đài để cập nhật tình hình. Đừng chỉ tin những lời nói truyền miệng. Tốt hơn là chờ đợi thay vì trở về quá sớm và bị những đợt sóng đang tới tấn công.

Đợi chính quyền địa phương thông báo rằng “nguy hiểm đã qua”. Chỉ khi ấy bạn mới nên trở về nhà. Bạn có thể tìm hiểu trước cách thức mà chính quyền địa phương đưa ra những thông báo như vậy. Hãy nhớ rằng, các con đường có thể bị hư hại nặng nề do sóng thần và bạn có thể phải tìm những tuyến đường thay thế khác. Một kế hoạch tốt cho trường hợp khẩn cấp được lập trước cần phải tính tới khả năng này và đưa ra được những tuyến đường và những nơi tập trung thay thế.

Cần biết rằng, bạn phải tiếp tục để sống sót kể cả sau trận sóng thần. Sau khi trận sóng thần đã rút đi, sẽ có rất nhiều mảnh vỡ, những tòa nhà bị phá hủy và cơ sở hạ tầng đổ nát. Có thể có cả xác người chết nữa. Nguồn cung nước sạch có thể bị phá hủy hoặc phá vỡ. Nguồn cung cấp thức ăn hầu hết sẽ không có sẵn. Nguy cơ bệnh tật, hậu chấn tâm lý, buồn đau, đói khát, và bị thương sẽ khiến thời kỳ hậu sóng thần cũng nguy hiểm như đang trong trận sóng thần. Một kế hoạch trong trường hợp khẩn cấp sẽ cần phải xem xét đến hậu quả và những gì bạn cần làm để bảo vệ chính mình, gia đình và cộng đồng của mình.

Tập trung cộng đồng lại sau một kế hoạch tái định cư. Nếu cơ quan có thẩm quyền tại địa phương không đưa ra được kế hoạch hành động, hãy đề nghị họ làm vậy và lập lên một nhóm hành động trong cộng đồng để xem xét kế hoạch hậu sóng thần. Những vật dụng có thể giúp sống sót hậu sóng thần bao gồm:

• Thiết lập một nguồn trữ nước sạch từ trước. Dù là nước đóng chai hay nước lọc, một nguồn cung cấp nước sạch trong trường hợp khẩn thiết cần phải có ngay trong cộng đồng của bạn.
• Mở lại những ngôi nhà và những tòa nhà không bị hư hại cho những người khác. Hãy giúp đỡ những người gặp cảnh khốn cùng và cho họ nơi trú ẩn.
• Đảm bảo có máy phát điện để có thể nấu nướng, duy trì vệ sinh và khôi phục lại các dịch vụ chăm sóc sức khỏe cơ bản và giao thông.
• Vận hành những nơi trú ẩn trong trường hợp khẩn và phân phát thực phẩm.
• Đưa dịch vụ chăm sóc sức khỏe trở lại hoạt động ngay lập tức.
• Dập lửa và khắc phục hệ thống gas bị vỡ.

• Evacuate your children immediately. Try to keep everyone together. Give them clear and simple instructions, ensuring they know where to regroup in case of separation. You may not be able to hold on to their tiny hands in the face of a powerful tsunami, so teach them how to survive if they become separated.
• If you're at the beach and notice an unusually large withdrawal of the sea, evacuate immediately; it's not an invitation to explore, but a warning to run in the opposite direction.
• As you move quickly away from the water, warn as many people as possible. Evacuate while shouting loudly and clearly: “Tsunami! Head to higher ground!” When the tide suddenly recedes, a tsunami could strike at any moment.
• If you see the tide rushing back in quickly, it’s a sign that the tsunami is on its way.
• If a distant tsunami is detected, the main cities are typically warned hours or less in advance of the tsunami’s arrival. Pay attention to these warnings!
• Whenever you hear an official tsunami warning, don’t ignore it or delay your actions. Be prepared to evacuate to a safe place, preferably inland or at a higher elevation. It's better to be over-prepared and not need it than to rely on your strength or wisdom to face Nature and find yourself lost in desperation. Don't rush into the water to save anything.
• The best option is to find a home deep inland or in a high place before a tsunami strikes.
• As soon as you hear a tsunami warning, quickly grab emergency supplies and head inland to a town or city, and stay there until authorities declare “danger has passed.”
• If you're trapped by a tsunami, try to swim or grab onto something floating.
• Teach your children to recognize the signs of an impending tsunami. Tilly Smith, a ten-year-old, saved her family and others in 2004 by recalling what she'd learned in geography class.

• Don’t wait for warnings. If you suspect a tsunami is coming, evacuate immediately.
• The primary cause of death in a tsunami is drowning. The second most common cause is being struck by debris.
• Always listen to instructions and advice from the authorities when a tsunami occurs. Local authorities typically broadcast these instructions on the radio, so make sure to listen carefully.

• Food
• Clean water
• First aid kit - for each family or group
• Dry, warm clothes and a waterproof jacket if available, or a poncho – for each person
• Medications for anyone with ongoing medical needs such as asthma or heart disease
• Flashlight and batteries – for each family or group
• Emergency water and food supply
• Clothing – two sets – for each person
• Strong magnets – for each family or group
• Battery-powered or hand-crank radio – for each family or group
• Inflatable pillow – for each person
• Mobile phone
• Blankets
• Utility knife (e.g., military-style knife)
• Cash for emergencies
• Photocopies of important documents such as birth certificates, will, ID cards, etc.