HSU Hosts Earthquake Tsunami Room at County Fair

For the 14th consecutive year, Humboldt State University is partnering with the Redwood Coast Tsunami Work Group to host the Earthquake Tsunami Room at the Humboldt County Fair, Aug. 14-25, 11a.m. to 9 p.m. in Hindley Hall, the commercial building.

The exhibit’s traditional tsunami theater, tsunami wave tank and “make-your-own-earthquake-in-a-pail” liquefaction demonstration will be supplemented Aug. 17 and 18 by the statewide tour of the Traveling Red Table™ created by the California Earthquake Authority (CEA) and American Red Cross (Red Cross) to highlight the “Seven Steps to Earthquake Safety.” Numerous celebrities have practiced “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” beneath the Table and fair visitors can follow suit. Fairgoers who practice the drill will receive a free photo of themselves and their families practicing the right action to take when the ground shakes. Photos will be on offer at the Humboldt table throughout the 12-day run of the fair for those unable to visit on Aug. 17 and 18.

The Earthquake Tsunami Room features detailed information about tsunami zones—coastal areas of risk and safety—and the quick actions survivors took when waves and inundations struck in the past.

Knowledgeable staff will have the latest details on the debris from the 2011 Japan tsunami that is collecting on the Redwood Coast. The interactive tsunami kiosk is updated with 2011 videos.

The Earthquake Tsunami Room offers many free educational materials. They include Living on Shaky Ground, the easy-to-read 32-page earthquake and tsunami preparedness booklet; attractive California tsunami posters; new community tsunami brochures; evacuation zone maps and new information for recreational and commercial boaters.

The room is situated in a new, larger location this year, to the right of Hindley Hall’s south entrance doors, just across from the location of the recent past.

The exhibit is supported by the California Office of Emergency Services, the California Geological Survey and the members of the Redwood Coast Tsunami Work Group as well as by Humboldt State University.