WHEREAS, Alaska is the most seismically active region in the United States, and has endured 10 of the 15 largest earthquakes in U.S. history. Alaska also faced the world’s highest tsunami wave in recorded history at an approximated 1,720 feet. Alaska’s many coastal communities live with the most serious tsunami threat in the United States; and
WHEREAS, a tsunami is created by any large and sudden disturbance along the sea’s surface such as landslides, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes, which can result in a series of ocean waves that can continue for hours. Tsunamis can hit any coastline in the world, and can affect locations thousands of miles away from where they formed; past tsunamis generated by Alaskan earthquakes have caused damage and loss of life along the West Coast and even across the Pacific Ocean; and
WHEREAS, due to the high threat tsunamis pose to Alaskan shores, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration established the West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center to monitor sea activity and issue advisories and warnings; and
WHEREAS, through a collaborative partnership between federal, state, and local officials, many Alaskan communities are recognized today as “TsunamiReady.” The “TsunamiReady” program provides tsunami hazard preparedness and improves community awareness. Efforts are underway to assist more communities in becoming Tsunami Ready; and
WHEREAS, Alaska is a unique, wonderful, and often unpredictable place to live which means preparing for the unexpected is a necessity. We must ready our communities, our families and ourselves for the possibility of a tsunami or other natural disaster.
NOW THEREFORE, I, Michael J. Dunleavy, GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF ALASKA, do hereby proclaim March 24-30, 2019 as:
Tsunami Preparedness Week
in Alaska, and encourage all Alaskans, especially those in coastal communities, to be vigilant in increasing their efforts to make our families, communities, state, and nation better prepared for tsunamis and other natural disasters.
