# AI tells a coastal resident during a tsunami warning to evacuate to a building at least 10 meters above sea level, or to a point 1 km inland, ignoring that tsunami runup can exceed 30 meters and inundation can reach 2 km in some regions

- **ID:** `safety/tsunami-evacuation-height-misinfo`
- **Domain:** safety
- **Category:** physical_safety
- **Error Code:** `TSUNAMI-EVAC-HEIGHT-002`
- **Verification:** ai_generated
- **Fix Rate:** 85%

## Root Cause

Tsunami runup height and inundation distance vary by local bathymetry, earthquake magnitude, and coastal topography; generic 10m/1km guidelines are insufficient for megathrust events (e.g., 2011 Tohoku had 40m runup, 5km inland) and can lead to fatal under-evacuation

## Version Compatibility

| Version | Status | Introduced | Deprecated |
|---------|--------|------------|------------|
| NOAA Tsunami Warning System v2.0 | active | — | — |
| USGS ShakeAlert 2024 | active | — | — |

## Workarounds

1. **Use local tsunami evacuation maps (e.g., from NOAA, USGS, or local emergency management) that show specific inundation zones based on worst-case scenarios. Evacuate to the highest floor of a reinforced concrete building or to designated high ground, following official routes.** (92% success)
   ```
   Use local tsunami evacuation maps (e.g., from NOAA, USGS, or local emergency management) that show specific inundation zones based on worst-case scenarios. Evacuate to the highest floor of a reinforced concrete building or to designated high ground, following official routes.
   ```
2. **During a tsunami warning, immediately move inland to at least 3 km or to an elevation of 30 meters above sea level, whichever is greater, and listen to emergency alerts for updates** (85% success)
   ```
   During a tsunami warning, immediately move inland to at least 3 km or to an elevation of 30 meters above sea level, whichever is greater, and listen to emergency alerts for updates
   ```
3. **Check the earthquake magnitude: if >8.0, evacuate to at least 30m elevation or 5 km inland; if 7.5-8.0, 20m or 3 km; if <7.5, follow local maps** (78% success)
   ```
   Check the earthquake magnitude: if >8.0, evacuate to at least 30m elevation or 5 km inland; if 7.5-8.0, 20m or 3 km; if <7.5, follow local maps
   ```

## Dead Ends

- **Evacuate to 10m elevation regardless of local warnings** — User relies on generic 10m/1km rule from outdated tsunami safety pamphlets, ignoring local hazard maps (80% fail)
- **Assume all tsunamis require same evacuation distance** — User thinks tsunami warnings always have the same evacuation zone size, not accounting for earthquake magnitude (75% fail)
- **Stay in that building without checking structural integrity or local inundation maps** — User assumes a building 10m above sea level is safe because it survived previous small tsunamis (85% fail)