When the Tohoku Earthquake hit I had recently relocated back stateside after my years in Osaka and was still in the "FUCK JAPAN, I'M NOT GOING BACK" phase of my life. Regardless, I was in a section of the western U.S. that scientists initially predicted would be hit hard by the resulting tsunami waves. We all watched the unimaginable damage unfolding live on TV in Japan, the emergency sirens began wailing and the entire population of city promptly began losing its shit. People were flooding Costco, any open market and Home Depot and going absolutely insane. Coastal cities began evacuations. My relatives all live far outside the flood zone so no worries there. I was still single so only myself to worry about. I live at the top of a high rise condo about a hundred meters from the beach and I decided I wasn't going anywhere. I fear looters more than waves. A semi-Doomsday-prepper-loser, I always have enough bottled water and food rations to last quite a while, so instead, I checked on my more important alcohol rations (always keep cases of imported Asahi Super Dry and Costco Vodka in storage), filled my coolers with ice for my cocktails, moved my vehicle into a secured location on a floor higher than any waves will reach then locked down my condo and prepared to barricade my front door.
Swapped out the batteries in the half-dozen emergency flashlights I keep in every room. Oiled up my AR-15 and Glock 19, checked on my weapons lights, checked on my pre-loaded magazines, got out my go-bag and prepared my gun-belt rig in case I had to leave quickly. Put on some comfortable clothes and my G-shock, set my Gore-Tex Merrell hikers by the entry. Charged up my phones. Then fixed a nice stiff drink, grabbed a nice cigar and sat on my balcony to watch the waves coming in and wait for the supposed big ones to arrive.
In the end we got a few waves that reached the main roads and a couple of highways. Minor damage. We got lucky, again. But we're long, long overdue for something big. I just hope I'm in living in the safe, sound suburbs by that time.