Alaska residents and visitors can now find information about tsunami hazards and evacuation routes in one place, on a new interactive hazard map.
The Alaska Earthquake Center created the tool to show people the danger in their community and where to go when an alert is issued. The map tool uses colored lines to mark boundaries showing types of tsunami hazards and evacuation information.
A yellow line shows where people should cross to reach a safer area during a tsunami evacuation. It's specific to each community and follows recognizable streets or landmarks.
A red line shows how far tsunami flooding could reach in communities that don't have a local evacuation line yet. A purple line marks the estimated flood area where detailed data isn't available. The center says it took a cautious approach so the estimate doesn't understate the hazard.
Nearly 40 percent of the 66 communities on the map have a yellow line so far. The center says more are coming.
Click on a community's name and the map opens to that town's hazard boundary and the areas that could flood. It also shows safe places to gather, has a tool for checking elevation and gives historical tsunami information when it's available. Some communities also have links to evacuation and maritime reports and local preparedness brochures.
The Alaska Earthquake Center is part of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute. It has worked with state emergency and geological agencies since 1998 to provide tsunami hazard information to Alaska communities.
The center says the map is for emergency planning and evacuation. It's not meant for land use decisions or insurance risk assessments.
Homer, Seward and Seldovia each have defined yellow lines and include resources like inundation reports and maps, along with information about what to do as a pedestrian or boat operator.
Links to the tsunami map app and information on how to use it are on the University of Alaska Fairbanks Earthquake Center website.
