Tsunami hazard maps of the Kodiak area, Alaska

This report is intended to provide guidance to local emergency managers in tsunami hazard assessment. Tsunami waves are a real threat for many Alaskan coastal locations, and community preparedness plays an important role in saving lives and property in a case of such a disaster. In this work we used a numerical modeling method to study tsunami waves generated by earthquake sources. We considered several hypothetical tsunami scenarios with a potential to generate tsunami waves that can affect communities in the Kodiak vicinity. Our results confirm that among the earthquake-generated tsunamis we modeled, the 1964 event can be considered a worst-case scenario for future planning. Although our tsunami models included a local fault source, we did not model local landslide-generated waves. Results of numerical modeling combined with historical observations can be very helpful in evacuation planning and public education for reducing risks from future tsunamis.