Sustainable Marine Structures

Tsunami Preparedness in the Coastal Tourism Area of Palabuhanratu Bay, West Java

Wahyu Widiyanto

Department of  Civil Engineering, Universitas Jenderal Soedirman, Purwokerto 53122, Indonesia

Sanidhya Nika Purnomo

Department of  Civil Engineering, Universitas Jenderal Soedirman, Purwokerto 53122, Indonesia

Muhammad Azmy Ikhsani

Department of  Architecture,  Universitas Jenderal Soedirman, Purwokerto 53122, Indonesia

Alena Najwa Lulu Birki Zain

Department of  Civil Engineering, Universitas Jenderal Soedirman, Purwokerto 53122, Indonesia

Amru Muyassar Raharjo

Department of  Civil Engineering, Universitas Jenderal Soedirman, Purwokerto 53122, Indonesia

Hidayat

Department of  Civil Engineering, Universitas Jenderal Soedirman, Purwokerto 53122, Indonesia

Muhammad Wisnu Zulva Al Azmi

Department of  Civil Engineering, Universitas Jenderal Soedirman, Purwokerto 53122, Indonesia

Haidar Fadhila Rahman

Department of Civil and Construction Engineering, National Yunlin University of Science and Technology, Douliu City 64002, Taiwan

DOI: https://doi.org/10.36956/sms.v8i1.2868

Received: 27 October 2025 | Revised: 30 December 2025 | Accepted: 28 January 2026 | Published Online: 12 February 2026

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Abstract

The Sunda Strait segment constitutes a subduction zone near the periphery of the Indonesian Ring of Fire that has not released its energy through a significant earthquake for an extended period, hence referred to as a seismic gap. The anticipated magnitude of this earthquake is projected to be MW 8.7. If this possibility occurs, it will lead to a significant earthquake and tsunami. Consequently, community preparedness is imperative. This article examines inexpensive and easily executable preparations. Palabuhanratu Bay, a heavily populated and geographically distinctive tourism destination in West Java, was chosen. A tsunami simulation will be executed to ascertain the height, arrival timing, and potential inundation area of the tsunami. An efficient evacuation path will be devised. A community-based mitigation strategy is presented, involving the installation of lifebuoys that serve as lifesaving devices during a tsunami, aimed at decreasing drowning fatalities caused by runup. Simulation results in the research region show a tsunami height exceeding the major tsunami category (>3 m), with the observation site recording a height of 7–10 m. The tsunami arrival time varies between 17 and 23 min. The projected area of probable inundation is 6.24 km². Dijkstra's algorithm was employed to identify 20 alternate evacuation routes at each observation location. Evacuation durations ranged from 16 to 18 min, with distances varying from 390 m to 1040 m. Based on insights from prior tsunamis, many survivors survived by grasping floating debris; this study suggests the strategic placement of denser coastal buoys along designated evacuation pathways.

Keywords: Tsunami; Mitigation; Preparedness; Evacuation; Lifebuoy; Megathrust; Sunda Strait

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