# AI advises building a sandbag barrier around a house to stop tsunami waves (insufficient height and structural failure)

- **ID:** `disaster/tsunami-sandbag-barrier-myth`
- **Domain:** disaster
- **Category:** life_threatening
- **Verification:** ai_generated
- **Fix Rate:** 78%

## Root Cause

Sandbag barriers are designed for slow-rising floodwater, not for the immense hydrostatic and dynamic forces of a tsunami; waves overtop, breach, or wash away sandbags, and debris turns them into projectiles.

## Workarounds

1. **Evacuate to higher ground immediately when a tsunami warning is issued. Do not stay to protect property. Vertical evacuation to a reinforced concrete building above the inundation zone is the only safe option if horizontal evacuation is impossible.** (95% success)
   ```
   Evacuate to higher ground immediately when a tsunami warning is issued. Do not stay to protect property. Vertical evacuation to a reinforced concrete building above the inundation zone is the only safe option if horizontal evacuation is impossible.
   ```
2. **If you must shelter in place, move to the highest floor of a well-built, multi-story reinforced concrete structure, away from windows. Do not use sandbags.** (70% success)
   ```
   If you must shelter in place, move to the highest floor of a well-built, multi-story reinforced concrete structure, away from windows. Do not use sandbags.
   ```

## Dead Ends

- **Use multiple layers of sandbags stacked in a pyramid shape** — Pyramid stacking still lacks structural integrity against lateral wave forces; the base may scour out, and wave momentum dislodges upper bags. (90% fail)
- **Reinforce sandbags with rebar or wooden stakes driven into the ground** — Stakes provide minimal anchoring against the lifting and dragging force of a tsunami; wave debris can snap stakes, and the entire structure can fail catastrophically. (82% fail)
- **Place sandbags inside the house near doors and windows instead** — Interior barriers do not prevent water entry; they only trap water inside, increasing structural load and drowning risk. Tsunami water enters through every opening. (95% fail)