Tsunami advisory makes small waves
FLORENCE, Ore - Tuesday, a tsunami advisory was in place on the Oregon Coast. When the advisory was first announced, KVAL hit the beach to find a lot of people knew nothing about it.
Phil and Venie Eastwood were out walking their dog along the North Jetty when we told them the news.
"We wouldn't be out here if we did," said Venie.
"We walked out on the beach and thought 'Wow, there's no one here,' said Phil Eastwood. "It's kind of nice."
Coastguard's say the tsunami sirens in town were not set off because the threat of actual danger was so low.
One of the biggest threats was that there might be stronger currents than usual.
"I don't think there's any need for fear," said Aaron Pretz, Chief Petty Officer with the Oregon Coast Guard. "It's not a watch or a warning. It's just an advisory and a step below both of those measures."
Officials didn't expect any big waves to come through Florence, but were still advising people to stay off the beach and out of the water.
Coast Guards had staff working all night, tying up their boats so they wouldn't drift away and keeping watch for anything out of the ordinary.
"Our response is centered around the water and watching the beach," siad Pretz. "We do have an observation tower."
By the time KVAL left the beach at 11 p.m. there was no noteable rise in the water levels. But Pretz say if the worst was to ever happen, "Well we're always ready. That's our motto."
