Oregon coast busy despite tsunami advisory: ‘I think more people came to the beach’

SEASIDE — Oregonians got a startling start to the day after an undersea volcano erupted near the Pacific nation of Tonga, triggering a tsunami advisory for the entire West Coast.

The National Weather Service predicted waves of 1 to 3 feet Saturday in Oregon, with the largest reported swell cresting at 1.5 feet near Port Orford as of mid-afternoon.

News spread quickly — by way of official text message alerts, media reports and the head of public works for the city of Manzanita, who flipped over a beachside warning sign, according to authorities.

Plenty of people, seeing the news, flocked to the waves.

The advisory for the Oregon and Washington coasts was canceled shortly before 5 p.m., but the National Weather Service still cautioned: “Some areas may continue to experience strong currents and small sea level changes.”

“I think more people came to the beach because there was a warning,” said Mollee Bidwell, a 55-year-old Canby resident. “As Americans, you know, we hear something like this is going to happen, and we run to it.”

Bidwell was combing the Seaside beach with the help of an antique White’s Eagle Spectrum metal detector. Her haul: one rusted tent stake.

Bidwell noted that surprising sneaker waves can crawl up the sand anytime and become especially dangerous when the weather looks deceptively calm.

“Be smart,” she said, “and don’t put yourself at risk.”

In Astoria, Deputy Fire Chief Terry Corbit knows that a major tsunami could be triggered offshore at any moment if the Cascadia Subduction Zone slips.

In comparison to the so-called “Big One,” Saturday’s advisory felt like small potatoes.

“The Cascadia event is probably going to take out most of our bridges, and potentially slide areas,” he said. “Right away a lot of our areas in Clatsop County will be isolated.”

Corbit said residents and tourists alike should study tsunami maps showing the low-level areas that will need to be evacuated, as well as safer highlands. He said Oregonians should stock up on drinking water and dry or canned food — and set a meeting point in case a major disaster occurs while family members are separated, as cellphone service would likely be disrupted.

“We’ve had these alerts before. In some aspects, it’s good practice for people to think about,” Corbit told The Oregonian/OregonLive. “At least it opens their eyes a bit.”

Seaside resident Scott Dosch, 68, has spent the better part of four decades building ephemeral sand sculptures of mermaids, castles, soldiers and buddhas, earning him the nickname, “the Sandman.”

Despite all the time spent in proximity to the ocean, Dosch isn’t worried. His first line of defense against a tsunami is the Seaside Promenade’s seawall. A quick jog up the flight of stairs leading to Broadway Street, Seaside’s main drag, is his secondary protection.

“And if I needed a tertiary, I suspect, we wouldn’t be safe anywhere,” he said.

Others can’t shake the suspicion that something big is coming.

Ana Santilli, who sells soda and beer at the Turnaround Market, woke up to a mobile alert from the city of Seaside, warning her of the tsunami advisory.

She went to work nonetheless. And from her spot behind the counter, less than a block east of the selfie-perfect Seaside Turnaround, she said the market had more than 50 customers Saturday morning — marking the beginning of a busy winter day.

“When I see the word tsunami, I end up having nightmares,” said Santilli, 22. “If I’m working and the sirens go off, I would of course try to get to safety. But I wouldn’t have too much hope of getting to it.”

— Zane Sparling; zsparling@oregonian.com; 503-319-7083; @pdxzane

Read past coverage of the 2011 tsunami that hit Oregon’s coast:

Oregon Coast tsunami: Brookings, Crescent City, Depoe Bay report serious damage (photos, video)

Oregon Coast tsunami: Serious damage reports from Brookings, Crescent City ports (photos, video)

Gold Beach rescuers fight ferocious tide to save woman swept into the tsunami surf