The key is if you're at the Oregon Coast and you feel the ground shake, head for the hills IMMEDIATELY. If it's the fault off our coast, you only have something like 20 minutes before the tsunamis arrive. if I were a millionaire and I lived at the coast I'd have a hot air balloon or Harrier jet standing by. Anything to get off the ground before the big waves hit.
Because of the length of our fault, our quake could be a 9.0 and the shaking could last 5 minutes. Repeat: 5 minutes.

The tsunami was not a dud in California ... 4 people swept to sea in Crescent City.

Brookings got hit fairly hard too.

http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2011/03/oregon_coast_tsunami_serious_damage_reports_from_brookings.html

Agreed - this one had real potential and in fact damaged the harbors at Brookings, Crescent City and further south. Definitely not a "false call", but a "plan for the worst, hope for the best...we got the best" situation.

Do agree, frequent false alarms certainly bring up the "boy cries wolf" syndrome, but for some people who disregard the warnings, there's little we can do to save someone who is hell bent on disregarding warnings for their own lives. I'd rather be safe than do nothing and be counting casualties.

Reminds me of a few years back while “touring” some of my ancestral lands and which today is one of the most toxics places on the planet. The Hanford Radiation Reservation. I asked one of our tribal leaders Russell Jim, if he thought a big earthquake would take out the vitrification plant, which at the time was in the early phases of construction. This was after the PR flack had told us that nothing could take it out. He looked me in the eyes and said “No” then he added, “It would only take a small one”.

I don't think you need to worry about crying wolf when people see the destruction that occurred elsewhere because of this event. We know that tsunami can be devastating 1000's of miles away from an earthquake and we can be thankful the damage to life and property was minimal here, but it could have been worse.

People who see the devastation elsewhere and are asked to evacuate after a massive earthquake event (not the possibility of one) probably won't hesitate to flee.

There is quite a bit of damage to boats and the harbor in Brookings.

I don't think you need to worry about crying wolf

Are you kidding? There were people on the beaches this morning to watch the action.

There were people on the beaches this morning to watch the action.

And one poor soul who was on the beach and may or may not wash up in a few days. But it's nice to know that our country is expending the full faith and effort of our U.S. Coast Guard to find his body. How much does a Dolphin cost to run?

Four others had to be rescued in Gold Beach.

Forget commercial cow's milk -- powdered or otherwise.

I have little pity for any of those idiot individuals who were swept out to sea or nearly swept out to sea. They truthfully got what they deserved. Stupidity should hurt.