California is the second most seismically active state in the nation after Alaska, and HSU will join with the Redwood Coast Tsunami Group at the start of the fair on August 11 to present this year’s exhibit, “Enough Already! The New Zealand Earthquakes and the Great Japan Earthquake and Tsunami 2011.”
Fairgoers will learn how a magnitude 6.1 earthquake brought New Zealand’s second largest city to a standstill, and pick up important lessons from the “Really Big One”—the magnitude 9 Tohoku-ok earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan last March.
The Earthquake Tsunami Room is located in Hindley Hall in the fair’s commercial building. The room features a tsunami theater, a tsunami wave tank, and a “make-your-own-earthquake-in-a-pail” liquefaction exhibit.
Knowledgeable staff will answer key questions about preparedness and provide an array of free educational materials. They include Living on Shaky Ground, the latest 32-page earthquake-and-tsunami preparedness magazine; new community tsunami brochures and evacuation zone maps; tsunami information DVDs for children as well as adults; and attractive California tsunami posters. Staff will be on hand for the fair’s entire 11-day run, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The Redwood Coast experiences considerable seismic activity. It is situated in a seismic zone comparable to that of Los Angeles and scientists believe the North Coast region is due for a magnitude 6 or greater earthquake. Authorities recommend that residents “drop, cover and hold on” in the event of an earthquake, sheltering beneath a solid piece of furniture or standing against an inside wall until the shaking stops.
Humboldt and Del Norte Counties are also tsunami-prone, and immediate evacuation to locations outside of tsunami zones is recommended when very strong ground shaking persists for 30 seconds or more. Signs that read “Entering and Leaving Tsunami Hazard Zones” are posted at key points along county highways.
The Earthquake/Tsunami Room is supported by the California Emergency Management Agency as well as HSU and the members of the Redwood Coast Tsunami Work Group.