Tsunamis can travel as fast as 500 miles per hour, and cannot be outrun. Unless a tsunami was generated, a boat away from the dock would probably not have a problem. The San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station is built to withstand a 7.0 magnitude earthquake directly under the plant. That exceeds the expected magnitude of any earthquake in that immediate area. Procedures are in effect to shut down the plant immediately, if necessary, and in the event of an earthquake, the plant is immediately checked to make sure that all systems are working properly.
All nuclear plants have instruments to warn of and measure earthquake motion.
Although plants are designed to shut down safely in the event of major earth movements, they are also designed to continue safe operation. San Onofre is capable of providing electricity during emergencies when it is most urgently needed to maintain the general health of the public, and to aid in the recovery efforts.