In 1812 there was a significant earthquake with its epicenter in the Santa Barbara Channel somewhere near Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz Islands. It sent a quick tsunami up to the very doorstep of the Santa Barbara Mission. Legend has it that the earthquake caused the Chumash to abandon Santa Rosa Island and seek shelter on the mainland under the care of the benevolent Franciscan fathers. There are impressive scars on Santa Rosa Island from this event quite obvious today.

That quake has been in the news recently because of series of mag 2 to 3 quakes in the area - precursors to a larger event? No one knows.

Local planners have taken some steps - modelling and preparing evacuation routes for a 3 meter tsunami on our coast. Signs are up indicating the location of tsunami zones, indicating that one should seek high ground. My home is 200 feet above MSL so i feel pretty good.

We had plenty of warning (eight hours or so)for the 2011 Japanese event, although it still caused significant damage in the local harbor. i was on Santa Rosa Island at the time, right along the south coast, when the wave arrived. We noticed absolutely nothing out of the ordinary. Coastal and sea bottom configuration are everything in determining tsunami effects...

PS. If people go to the coast to see the tsunami and get a thrill, just remember that you can't stop Darwin. To their credit, the local authorities do try....