The probability of a tsunami over one meter high hitting the Mediterranean within the next three decades is close to 100%, experts warn, according to infohub.kz.
As ScienceDaily reports, the French Riviera faces a serious tsunami threat. In some local scenarios, the first waves could reach the coast in less than 10 minutes. Yet France's national warning center needs up to 15 minutes to send its first alert to authorities after an earthquake.
Because of this, scientists and local officials around Nice are developing pedestrian evacuation routes, identifying shelter locations, and conducting drills so people can leave danger zones in time.
The Mediterranean region has all the necessary potential for dangerous waves. They can be triggered by earthquakes along active faults in the Ligurian Sea or by landslides. History records the 1887 event, when an earthquake caused two-meter waves in Cannes and Antibes, as well as the 1979 landslide in Nice that killed eight people. Experts note that even low waves can be dangerous because of their high speed and strong currents.
To reduce risks, specialists from the University of Montpellier have defined an evacuation zone covering areas below five meters above sea level and within 200 meters of the shore. The Nice Côte d'Azur metropolis has created nearly 100 shelters and laid out safe routes. Thanks to this work, the metropolis received Tsunami Ready status from UNESCO, confirming the region's high level of preparedness for a possible disaster.