Exit North

Point Roberts and Roberts Creek, B.C., both lie in an earthquake zone, although quakes don’t happen often and, since I’ve been here, there have been only one or two that could be actually felt. Nevertheless, earthquakes, in a coastal area, can give rise to tsunamis, so I suppose it is not surprising that there is a page in our B.C. phone book telling us what to do in case of a tsunami. (Don’t go to the beach, mostly.) We are located within view of the ocean but the Sunshine Coast is mostly on a slope up to the mountains so the prospect of a tsunami having any effect on us personally—with respect to waves crashing in upon us—is about zero, I believe. Point Roberts, by contrast is not just coastal but a peninsula, and it is not sloping up to a mountain, so a tsunami here might be more problematic.

Thus, I was not entirely surprised today to see a new Tsunami Warning sign on the main road. I doubt if Homeland Security is looking out for us on this front, so I can only imagine that the state of Washington decided it needed to post such signs all along the coast. I am also guessing that the overall plan at the state level was to give everybody the same kind of warning. I guess this because what our warning sign says is “Tsunami Evacuation Route” followed by an arrow pointing north, which would be the way to Canada and not to the ocean. Under five square miles, I am reminding you, is what we are working with here. Surrounded on three sides by water. And only one route that gets you off the peninsula. So, yes, I suppose that would be the evacuation route. But it is unlikely that anyone would try any other route because all the other roads lead to the ocean.

It does not really seem helpful. How, for example, will you know there is a tsunami coming so that you will drive to the evacuation route? Will you have to show your passport as you cross the border while you are evacuating? If you don’t have your passport with you at that moment, will they send you back to the tsunami? Will the Canadian border agents be concerned about whether you are bringing things into Canada…like alcohol or apples…that you shouldn’t be? Will you have to tell them how long you will be staying in Canada? And how long will you be staying in Canada? That's what we need to know.

Somebody drove up here from somewhere in the rest of Washington to bring us this sign. I wonder why or at least I wonder what they were thinking when they brought it?