A major tsunami could swamp significant swaths of the Northern California coastline, according to hazard maps reviewed by The Times, making it vital for residents to know whether they live in an at-risk area and what to do should the threat arise.
Some of the most storied sections of San Francisco — including the Financial District, the Ferry Building, Fisherman’s Wharf, the Palace of Fine Arts, Chase Center, Oracle Park, the Zoo and Treasure Island — could see flooding from a major tsunami. The same is true for much of Alameda; sizable chunks of Oakland, Berkeley, Richmond and Marin County; and some areas near Silicon Valley, including northern sections of Redwood City and Burlingame.
To the south, some coastal communities along Highway 1 in San Mateo County are in a tsunami hazard zone — such as parts of Pacifica and Half Moon Bay — as are other popular tourist destinations in counties farther south, like the cities of Santa Cruz, Capitola and Monterey.
The risk extends north, too. Humboldt and Del Norte counties have significant tsunami risk. Crescent City, near the Oregon border, is the site of California’s worst tsunami disaster in modern times, and there are vast areas around Eureka, which is next to Humboldt Bay, where there are long, skinny peninsulas that could make an evacuation challenging.