The Register-Guard, Eugene, Oregon, USA

The Register-Guard, Eugene, Oregon, USA: "The quake that lowered the shore and launched the tsunami struck Oregon at 9 p.m. on Jan. 26, 1700.

As you take your romantic stroll along Salishan's beach, picture the effect such an earthquake would have today. Measuring about nine on the Richter scale, the initial shock would be roughly 10 times more powerful than the 1906 earthquake that destroyed San Francisco.

At Lincoln City, the ground would suddenly drop about 10 feet, cracking streets and buildings. Surprisingly, the ocean would not surge forward at once. In fact, the waters might even retreat for several minutes, exposing first the tidepools at Fishing Rock, and then the mudflats beyond. By that time, sirens already would be wailing in Lincoln City, warning residents to move to higher ground.

Lincoln City is one of the coastal towns that has held tsunami evacuation drills."