Berkeley tsunami alert inspired critics as well as defenders

Residents in Berkeley received a flurry of emergency alerts Thursday morning about a possible tsunami following a massive earthquake off the coast of Humboldt County.

But, before most people could take much action, the incident was over.

Local authorities canceled the emergency warning about 40 minutes after issuing it, in line with advisories and guidance from the National Weather Service.

Berkeley was not alone in sending alerts after the magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck off the North Coast not far from Eureka, California, at 10:44 a.m.

The resulting tsunami warning was in effect along much of the California coast as well as Oregon.

Emeryville, Albany, UC Berkeley and Alameda County's Office of Emergency Services were among the Bay Area agencies that sent email and text alerts to warn residents Thursday morning.

Local officials and neighborhood groups amplified those advisories using their own networks.

In the immediate aftermath of the canceled alert, some residents questioned whether the tsunami warnings had been necessary — or whether the messaging could have been improved.

Berkeley officials and first responders said the advisories were appropriate under the circumstances.

Some also noted that the incident provided a useful reminder about how to be prepared and respond when disaster strikes or may be coming.

Officer Byron White, a Berkeley police spokesman, said the city quickly alerted the public about the potential threat after getting a tsunami warning from the National Weather Service.

Berkeley police then began working to evacuate the marina as the city launched an Emergency Operations Center, which allows for a coordinated response across multiple city departments.

The city also activated the sirens and speakers that are part of its emergency warning system, White said.

Berkeley was among the first of its neighboring East Bay agencies to issue evacuation orders Thursday, sending them out shortly after 11:20 a.m.

The strongly worded order advised people in Berkeley's "tsunami zone" to "evacuate now," to head east and stay east of Seventh Street, which is nearly a half-mile from Frontage Road and much of the Berkeley coastline.

The city ordered people in the tsunami zone to "leave now" without delay, and "be ready to walk out in case roadways become blocked."

"DO NOT stay on boats or docks. Bring all people and pets with you. Bring only essential items and medications," the warning read. "Lock your doors when you leave. TAKE ONE VEHICLE. This will help keep roadways open for responders."

The areas covered by the alert included the Berkeley Marina and West Frontage Road, Tom Bates sports fields, the I-80 freeway, Aquatic Park and "all areas" west of Third Street.

The evacuation area also included University Avenue and Addison Street west of Fourth Street, while Hearst, Harrison, Gilman, Camelia and Page were covered west of Fifth Street.

Jones, Cedar, Virginia, and Delaware were covered west of Sixth Street, while Potter and Folger were ordered to evacuate west of Seventh Street.

The warning also advised people not to call 911, so as not to overwhelm emergency responders, and not to return to lower ground until they were advised to do so.

In the warning that went out, the alert severity was classified as "extreme," describing the potential for "extraordinary threat to life or property" as "likely."

Councilman Terry Taplin, who represents West Berkeley, emailed the city's warning to his constituents.

The group that represents Gilman District businesses in northwest Berkeley did the same.

Taplin said he just happened to be reviewing materials related to unfunded capital projects in the marina, and other critical infrastructure needs, when the tsunami warning came out from the city.

"In the years ahead, the council will need to focus our attention on the necessary improvements to our capital assets to ensure that our infrastructure and evacuation centers are adequately equipped to respond to large-scale disasters," he told The Scanner.

Councilman Ben Bartlett, who also sent alerts to his constituents in South Berkeley, called the tsunami warning "quite a scare."

"I’m pleased that as a city we were able to quickly get advisory warnings out," he said. "Going forward, we will work on large-scale drills to make sure escape route arterials are accessible for more people and safe harbor zones are established."

Other council members said they had been glad to see so many alerts going out via many different channels, from neighbors and officials alike.

One of the key tenets of disaster response, experts say, is the need for redundant communication to ensure the widest reach.

Claremont/Elmwood Councilman Mark Humbert said he had been relieved to see the alert canceled so quickly, noting that he had not heard from any constituents with concerns Thursday morning.

Many people did reportedly try to head east during the advisory, snarling traffic on local roads.

Community member Aydın Buluç said he and many others got stuck at the Gilman Street exit of Interstate 80 after finding police blocking the University Avenue exit off the freeway.

"Before we could get out," he added, "the evacuation orders were lifted."

He said it had been frustrating not to be able to get off the freeway toward higher ground due to backed-up traffic.

Others said they felt the notifications had been effective.

"My kid's daycare is on 6th street which is in the evac zone, so I sprinted home and then got my car to pick him up," said Kenneth D'Amica, on X. "I had just gotten home with him when the all clear came through. Glad it was a false alarm and I have no regrets about playing it safe."

How to prepare to evacuate in Berkeley during a disaster

• Sign up for AC Alert on all your devices
• Leave your phone on to get alerts even when you are sleeping
• Do not use the "do not disturb" mode during high-risk weather
• Bookmark Berkeley’s emergency map:  
  • Download the Genasys Protect App to get real-time alerts about emergencies
  • Find your evacuation zone on the Berkeley emergency map website, which will be referenced in AC Alert evacuation messages. (Example: "BER-E044" is Berkeley Zone 44)
• Put your go-bag by the front door
• Plan multiple evacuation routes, including two by foot
• If access is limited, park off-street, leaving streets clear for emergency vehicles
• Back your car into your driveway or garage to make for an easier exit

Resources to stay informed during tsunami alerts

On Thursday morning, the city of Berkeley shared multiple resources residents can monitor during a tsunami warning.

• Tsunami.gov
• City of Berkeley radio: 1610 AM
• Other radio stations: KQED 88.5 FM, KCBS 740 AM, KGO 810 AM, and KNBR 680 AM
• Local news
• Learn more about the city’s emergency alerting tools and other disaster preparedness resources

"Check with neighbors," the city also wrote. "Share emergency information and instructions with the people around you. Verify information from a credible source."

More city resources

Use Berkeley’s Emergency map to get critical information and act quickly on warnings, orders

City’s emergency map aligns the community with emergency personnel to guide the public to important information, resources, and orders to evacuate or shelter. Learn how to use the City’s emergency map to quickly see how neighborhoods, including your own, may be directed to evacuate, shelter in place, or take other protective action. When possible, the City will also use the map to identify evacuation routes, road closures, shelters, or other critical information to guide you to your next step.

City of Berkeley

Sign up for AC Alert for official emergency information

Sign up for text, email, and phone alerts to quickly guide you, your family, and co-workers to protective actions during emergencies. Make sure each member of your household signs up for their own AC Alert account to receive alerts during an emergency.Include phone numbers, email addresses, and locations of interest, like your home, work, and children’s school addresses, to get critical emergency information.By signing up for AC Alert, which is used across Alameda County, you will receive important information about protective actions to take during emergencies, including extreme fire weather, evacuations, or orders to shelter-in-place.

City of Berkeley