The family whose tsunami plan lived on a laminated card by the door never needed the card for the wave they expected. They needed it for the one they didn’t: the night drill their youngest insisted on as a game became the reason everyone’s shoes were by the door when the real shaking came at 2 a.m. In a crisis, “cognitive fragmentation” sets in. You will forget things you know perfectly well. You might remember to grab your phone but forget your shoes. You might remember the route but forget that the first wave isn’t the last.

This Master Checklist is your external brain. It consolidates the entire Tsunami Preparedness Series into a linear, chronological protocol. Print this out. Laminate it. Keep it by the door. It is the script that ensures you don’t just hope for the best, you execute a professional-grade response to the worst.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for general informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended as, and should not be considered, legal, medical, or emergency-response advice. Tsunami risks vary greatly by geography. Always follow the instructions of local authorities and tsunami warning centers.

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The Readiness Audit

• Green: Every phase below is checked and the sheet is printed and posted by the door.
• Yellow: You know most of it but nothing is written down.
• Red: You are reading this during an event. Start at Phase 2 and work in order.

Caution: The kit list only works if it exists when the power is out. Paper beats apps here, so print it today.

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Phase 1: Blue Sky Readiness (Seasonal Prep)

Goal: Map the routes and build the plan before the ground shakes.

The intelligence

• Confirm your zone: check local tsunami evacuation maps to see if you’re in a hazard zone.
• Map high ground: identify the nearest high ground (100 feet up or 2 miles inland).
• Map the route: identify and walk your primary and backup evacuation routes.
• Time it: time your evacuation on foot.

The vertical option

• Identify: your nearest tsunami evacuation structure or tall reinforced building.
• Confirm: it has accessible stairs (not just elevators).
• Map: the fastest route to it.

The kit

• Go-bag: water, flashlight, whistle, sturdy shoes, charged phone, by the door.
• Alerts: enable Wireless Emergency Alerts on your phone.

The Takeaway: Blue-sky work is the only work that happens on your schedule, so do it while the sky is blue.

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Phase 2: The Earthquake (The Warning)

Goal: Recognize that the shaking is the warning.

• Drop, cover, hold on: during the shaking.
• Move: the moment the shaking stops, move to high ground on foot.
• Do not wait: for an official alert. The earthquake is the warning.

The Takeaway: The clock starts when the shaking starts, not when the siren sounds.

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Phase 3: The Natural Signs (The Confirmation)

Goal: Act on any natural warning sign.

• Receding water: if the sea pulls back dramatically, run to high ground.
• The roar: if you hear a freight-train roar from offshore, run to high ground.
• The rule: any one of these signs is enough. Do not wait for all three.

The Takeaway: One sign is a countdown. Receding water is not a spectacle, it is the trough arriving.

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Phase 4: The Evacuation (The Foot Race)

Goal: Reach high ground on foot.

• On foot: do not drive. Roads will be gridlocked.
• The route: follow your pre-mapped route to high ground.
• The backup: if the route is blocked, go up and inland by any path.
• Vertical: if you can’t reach high ground, climb a tall reinforced building.

The Takeaway: Your feet are faster than your car, and a car in gridlock is a coffin.

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Phase 5: The Wait (The Series)

Goal: Survive the series of waves.

• Stay put: remain on high ground for hours.
• Do not return: after the first wave. The first is rarely the largest.
• The all-clear: wait for the official all-clear before returning.

The Takeaway: The tsunami is over when the authorities say it’s over, not when the water leaves.

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Phase 6: The Recovery (After the All-Clear)

Goal: Return safely.

• Watch: for downed power lines, debris, and contaminated water.
• Check in: account for family and neighbors.
• Document: photograph damage for insurance.
• Boil water: assume tap water is contaminated until authorities say otherwise.

The Takeaway: The all-clear is a beginning, not an ending: the hazards below the waterline outlast the wave.

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Final Tips

• Print this checklist: keep a physical copy by the door.
• The family drill: practice the full evacuation, including once at night.
• The neighbor pact: know which neighbors have high ground or a tall building, and agree to help each other.

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Scenario Planner (Contingencies)

“I’m mid-route and forgot which way high ground is.” The trap: standing still to think while the clock runs. The fix: the two-word compass, up and inland, which is a plan even with the plan forgotten.

“The first wave passed and my street looks fine.” The trap: walking back to check the house. The fix: the series rule, the first wave is rarely the largest, and the all-clear comes from authorities, not from the waterline.

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Next Steps

1. Print this page today and put it by the door, because the plan that exists only on a screen fails with the power.
2. Run the full drill this weekend, including the night walk, and time every leg.
3. Fold it into the family plan. A prepared household beats a prepared person, so put these steps in front of everyone who shares your roof. Start with Part 1: Anatomy of a tsunami.

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Originally adapted from public NOAA tsunami guidance (public domain).