What the tsunami alert revealed about how Bay Area governments respond in emergency

by Thomas Hughes, Bay City News December 8, 2024December 6, 2024

A sign posted near Santa Cruz Harbor warns beachgoers they are in an area that could be affected by a tsunami. Although Santa Cruz was included in a tsunami warning issued by the National Weather Service on Dec. 5, 2024, following a 7.0 earthquake off the Northern California coast, no damage occurred in the Bay Area. (File photo via California Office of Emergency Services/Flickr)

A tsunami warning from the National Weather Service revealed an uneven response by Bay Area cities, counties and emergency services on Thursday, after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck off the coast of Humboldt County.

A tsunami alert was issued by the National Weather Service at 10:51 a.m., seven minutes after the quake struck at 10:44 a.m., about 45 miles off the coast, at a depth of 10 kilometers, or about 6.2 miles, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

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