You are laying on the beach, enjoying the sun and sand, when suddenly, you look up to see the water rushing away from you. Parts of the sand that had been underwater a second ago are now bare, full of fish and crabs and debris. You are confused. You walk towards it. You do not notice the danger until the wall of water comes rushing back in. By then, it is too late and you are swept away.
This horrifying scenario has happened over and over, with high numbers of victims that had no idea what to do. With this article, you will know how to survive a tidal wave or tsunami.
First. As soon as you see the waves recede and you know it is not from the tides, run. Most of those who escaped the December tsunami’s did so because they got a head start on the water or got up high enough that they were not washed away.
Get up high. Tidal waves and tsunami’s do their damage by sending in sets of waves. These walls of water run around 35 feet and come in gradually over a half an hour, filling the shoreline with rushing waves full of debris. They then take the same amount of time to go back out, before rushing right back. This goes on for hours. You must be above 35 feet and on something that will not collapse, crumble, give way, or be pulled out of the ground by the force of the water.
How to survive a tidal wave or tsunami tip:
In many of the videos, people were only concerned with their own survival, even pushing others away from safety in their panic. Every person reacts differently in a crisis and cannot be blamed for it but some of those who were lost did not have to be. Try to think of the others around you if you can. You may be able to save lives and this will also make them look to you for leadership when it is safe to come back down.
Stay up high for hours after each wave. Do not come down too soon. When you do, there are three things you must do right away.
1.) Get away from the area. Besides the danger of it not being done yet, there are mudslides, debris piles, looters, no sanitation or authority. Go to an area that has not been hit, tell them you are a survivor with firsthand accounts and then check into the local care center. Your words will hep them get ready for the masses of people that will come in the next days for help.
2.) You need food and water but be sure it is not contaminated. Bottled water is ideal. Avoid wells and taps anywhere even remotely close to where the tidal wave came in. The same with ponds, lakes, rivers, creeks, and streams. Runoff will quickly contaminate them.
3.) Get clean. The wave carries things that your body has little immunity to, including fuels from ruptured gas tanks,sewer waste, and of course, rotting bodies. Get the germs off you as quickly as you can.
