A tsunami generated by a massive earthquake off Alaska could cause major damage to California's economy and force 750,000 people to evacuate, a report published Wednesday warned.
One third of all boats in California's marinas could be damaged or sunk, costing some $700 million in losses, while major ports would struggle to get huge cargo vessels out to sea in time to avoid being buffeted by tsunamis.
Experts from the US Geological Survey (USGS) based their damage assessment on the scenario of a 9.1 magnitude quake off Alaska's Pacific Coast, which it said was "hypothetical but plausible."
"In this scenario approximately 750,000 people would need to be evacuated, with 90,000 of those being tourists and visitors," said the report, co-published by the USGS and the California Geological Survey.
The number of tourists -- who would be more at risk because they may be less prepared for what to do -- would increase to millions in the event of a tsunami in summer months, when visitors flock to California's beaches.
