[A.T.Hagan]

In the interests of trying to learn from someone else's misfortune what lessons can we draw from the earthquake and tsunami that recently took place in Indonesia and the Indian Ocean nations?

In her post here: http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/showpost.php?p=1237819&postcount=5 the Cascadian reminds us that the U.S. Pacific coast is a part of the tsunami prediction and warning system and that seems to be the most important lesson to draw. If you have even just a few minutes warning the chances for you and yours to survive are greatly increased. How many of our board members live in tsunami risk areas have warning radios set up? I'm in Florida so this isn't something I'm familiar with so perhaps someone more familiar will illustrate for us how the system works here in the U.S. and perhaps the other nations that participate in the Pacific network?

Having a prediction and warning network is the first lesson to be drawn, I think.

But what other lessons can be drawn?

I'm struggling with this one because if you're on the coast close enough for a tsunami to be a danger it all revolves around having enough <i>time</i> to get to safety! Once the water begins to drain away from the beach and the horizon begins to rise your time is now measured in tens of seconds. Grabbing your loved ones and running like hell for higher ground or at least the upper floors of a building seems like the only thing to be done. What you've got in your pockets or on your back may be all that you are going to be able to take with you.

If you manage to survive the initial waves and flooding you'll be into the prep areas that we usually deal with here. A need for potable water, medical care, communications and so on. I think if ever I end up traveling to a less advanced nation for whatever reason I am always going to carry a decent backpacking style of water filter in my luggage. May never need to use it, but it could make the difference as to whether my family contracts a waterborne disease should there be some sort of major breakdown. Cholera, typhoid and all the other usual suspects are now about to become serious threats in the afflicted areas. A good quality small multi-band radio as well.

Let's hear some other view points.

.....Alan.

[Brooks]

Meemur has posted a great travelling BOB.

http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/showthread.php?t=92658&highlight=fleece+blanket

A small camping filter is one of the first things that comes to my mind, but you would need to reach it in time.

[Aleph Null]

One thing that came to my mind immediately is on a rather different tangent -- be careful where you choose to vacation. It's fine to go to 'exotic' locales but these sorts of situations, which would be bad in more developed areas, can quickly become long-term disasters in less developed nations.

a0

[Larred]

I was talking to a friend Sunday and his Brother was visiting from out of town. Turns out that his Brother was planning a vacation somewhere in the effected area in about two months, and then while we were talking heard about the exact beach he was going to be on having had people washed away. Sometimes there isn't much you can do, just being in the wrong place at the wrong time is enough...

[A.T.Hagan]

You're right. Some times there isn't anything you can do. But sometimes there is something you can do if you're quick witted and fleet of foot. That's what this thread is about. From the sounds of it in many instances quite a lot of people stood frozen in shock and were washed away.

How many may have survived if they'd used the fifteen, twenty, or thirty seconds they had?

.....Alan.

[Aleph Null]

I wonder if any of those people even knew what a tsunami was or what to do at all. Awareness is the first step to survival, I think.

a0

[hughmanity]

In the initial stages of natrual disasters of this magnitude, it truely is survival of the fittest. The young, old and out of shape will suffer most in the initial stages. Course a brave fit person can only move as fast as the slowest person they care to rescue. I am in pretty good shape for an old fark but DW smokes like a train. I would be loth to leave her on the beach to drown while I run to safety.

[A.T.Hagan]

<strong>National Weather Service
Pacific Tsunami Warning Center</strong>
http://www.prh.noaa.gov/pr/ptwc/

.....Alan.

[SmartAZ]

Suppose a tsunami warning comes. Then what? We have seen the responses to hurricane warnings in Florida. People were fairly calm, so there were few wrecks. But there was no preparation on those roads. Gas stations quickly ran out of gas, and people just drove with no idea where they were going or how far they could get on the gas they happened to have. Places that might have been used for refuge were unprepared and nobody knew where they were anyway.

In California most roads run along the coast; very few go over the mountains. Once you get away from the coast, there are fewer towns farther apart. One wonders where the refugees will go and what they will eat or sleep on when they get there. To escape a tsunami does not require going very far, just a couple hundred feet up, but to move a whole city that far up the mountain takes some preparations. Roads can move about 30 cars per minute per lane. If every car has 3 or 4 people, it takes 5 hours to move 60,000 people on a 2 lane road. And wherever they go, they are going to be stuck there for a few days at least.

[Pepper]

I wonder if any of those people even knew what a tsunami was or what to do at all. Awareness is the first step to survival, I think.

a0

I wondered the same thing after reading how some just stood there watching.
Awareness is the number one key to survival to me. Instinct, is the second key to surivival at least I think so. Trouble with many today is they no longer listen to their inborn instinct. I call it a "gut" feeling and I'm very in tune with my "gut". If my "gut" tells me to run, then baby I run. :yes:

[Seldom Seen]

The biggest lesson I can draw is that disaster can strike with little or no warning. On the coast you may have tsunamis, where I am it could be a volcano or earthquake, California definitely an earthquake, Midwest maybe a tornado, back east maybe a terrorist attack. Thing is, is to be prepared as best you can, have situational awareness and have a plan and a backup plan.

A BOB close by is a help. Maybe also one of those NOAA radios that only come on during emergencies and keeping your eyes and ears open. Last of all would be to know how to get to a safe place,perhaps by unconventional means. Course I'm sure others can think of more, this is pretty basic stuff.

[north runner]

The biggest lessons are:

1. keep your dog tags on so they can identify the body/bodies if they are found.

2. make sure your will is written, so you don't screw up your kid's life, if he survives.

3. have a letter somewhere safe or tell your family where the preps are just in case you don't survive.

[SmartAZ]

What's really chilling is that the .gov bigwigs might decide not to use the warning system they have because it would inconvenience tourists. Talk about "unclear on the concept"!

[HeadachesAbound]

so perhaps someone more familiar will illustrate for us how the system works here in the U.S.

If I remember correctly, those towns who are most likely to be impacted by such a disaster on the West Coast have warning systems in place that will act similar to the hurricane systems that you have in Florida. One town in particular, in Oregon I think, has something similar to our tornado and flood sirens here in Oklahoma.

They test the system in Oregon using a recording of a cow. People know that if the siren goes off, they better run for high ground. In Oklahoma, we know the difference between flood and tornado sirens. I've heard both the flood and tornado sirens more than a few times. The sounds of rushing flood waters and the roar of a tornado is enough to make sure you never forget it.

This is a problem with a tsunami though, it is so rare that most people are in shock when they see it for the first time. The same thing happens with floods and tornados the first time you see them. It is something that freezes you in place with fear and awe. My first tornado was something to be admired, although it did have it's sights set on the field where I was standing. I don't think I've ever run faster.

[Crabapple Plum]

From what I understand, any seismic activity in the Pacific Basin sets off the tsunami alert systems independent of political interference. Evacuation occurs along the evacuation routes and everyone remains on high ground until more information is available. I believe we have buoys about 50 miles out to measure swells to pinpoint what areas are threatened. There is a tsunami siren about 3 miles from us in the fishing village, which we can easily hear from our property. We are in the "evacuate to" area.

When we lived in southwestern Washington near Willipa Bay, seismic activity set off the tsunami alert systems. As soom as I felt the house rocking, I turned on the radio to the local station. It was on emergency broadcast for tsunami for several minutes. After several minutes, the local dj was back giving the exact time it took to evacuate the schools and lower areas. Another ten minutes and the warning was cancelled. The navy was claiming it wasn't an earthquake but a sonic boom. I can buy it wasn't an earthquake, but it wasn't a normal sonic boom, either.