San Francisco residents experienced a day of anxiety and unexpected adventure on Thursday (5) after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake off the California coast prompted a tsunami warning. The alert, which buzzed across cellphones with the chilling message, “You are in danger,” sparked reactions ranging from panic to curiosity as locals scrambled to respond.
For lifelong surfer Alex Felton, 31, the day began as any other, with plans to catch waves at Ocean Beach. But the tsunami alert disrupted his routine. “TSUNAMI WARNING!” the alert blared. “You are in danger.” Though tempted to proceed with his surf session, Felton heeded his friends’ advice and moved away from the coast. “All of them were worried I might make a bad decision,” he admitted with a grin.
The warning came after an offshore earthquake shook the ground across hundreds of miles. The National Weather Service issued the alert for Northern California and southern Oregon, urging coastal residents to evacuate. Heart rates spiked across the Bay Area as residents tried to process the blaring alarms and the impending disaster scenario.
“It was a lot to take in, in the moment,” said Johnny Williams, a bookstore owner in Berkeley. “It felt like a science fiction movie.”
Ray Williams, a freshman at the University of California, Berkeley, echoed the sentiment. Despite having his phone on “Do Not Disturb,” the emergency alert still reached him. “I’ve lived here all my life, and there’s never been any type of tsunami. No warning. No threat,” he said.
The predicted wave arrival time of 12:10 p.m. in San Francisco caused immediate action. Coastal areas cleared as residents rushed inland, fearing the worst.
The San Francisco Zoo, situated near the ocean, took precautionary measures by securing its animals and temporarily shutting down. Schools kept students indoors for safety, and many parents opted to take their children home.
However, not everyone fled. A different group saw the warning as an opportunity for spectacle. Among them was 62-year-old Sharon Pretti, who admitted, “My first thought after getting the jarring phone alert was, ‘I want to go down there.’” Pretti and dozens of others gathered at Ocean Beach to observe the waves, hoping for a dramatic display. When the alert was called off an hour later, Pretti confessed, “I was hoping to see bigger waves. I just adore the ocean.”
At Fort Funston, a coastal bluff in San Francisco’s southwest, about 20 people assembled on an observation deck overlooking the beach, expecting either waves or perhaps hang gliders, as a sign there warned. Neither appeared.
Instead, Vince Powell, 61, took the opportunity to ride his motorcycle to the site, enjoying the view and the company of fellow onlookers. “I saw some dolphins,” he said. “I talked to some interesting people. There were worse ways to spend an hour.”
The tsunami warning was canceled as quickly as it had arrived, leaving the region relieved but slightly amused at the unusual turn of events. For many, the experience underscored the unpredictability of life along the Pacific coast.
