Tsunami Warning and Preparedness

An Assessment of the U.S. Tsunami Program and the Nation's Preparedness Efforts

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• Publisher: National Academies Press
• Year: 2011
• eBook ISBN: 9780309137546
• Edition: 0
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• Index: Politics & International Relations

Many coastal areas of the United States are at risk for tsunamis. After the catastrophic 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean, legislation was passed to expand U.S. tsunami warning capabilities. Since then, the nation has made progress in several related areas on both the federal and state levels. At the federal level, NOAA has improved the ability to detect and forecast tsunamis by expanding the sensor network. Other federal and state activities to increase tsunami safety include: improvements to tsunami hazard and evacuation maps for many coastal communities; vulnerability assessments of some coastal populations in several states; and new efforts to increase public awareness of the hazard and how to respond.Tsunami Warning and Preparedness explores the advances made in tsunami detection and preparedness, and identifies the challenges that still remain. The book describes areas of research and development that would improve tsunami education, preparation, and detection, especially with tsunamis that arrive less than an hour after the triggering event. It asserts that seamless coordination between the two Tsunami Warning Centers and clear communications to local officials and the public could create a timely and effective response to coastal communities facing a pending tsuanami.According to Tsunami Warning and Preparedness, minimizing future losses to the nation from tsunamis requires persistent progress across the broad spectrum of efforts including: risk assessment, public education, government coordination, detection and forecasting, and warning-center operations. The book also suggests designing effective interagency exercises, using professional emergency-management standards to prepare communities, and prioritizing funding based on tsunami risk.

Table of contents

• FrontMatter
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Executive Summary
• Summary
• 1 Introduction
• 2 Aligning Priorities with Societal Risks from Tsunamis
• 3 Education and Preparedness of Individuals, Communities, and Decision Makers
• 4 Tsunami Detection and Forecasting
• 5 Long-Term Reliability and Sustainability of Warning Center Operations
• References
• Appendix A: Examples of Tsunami Sources That Threaten the United States
• Appendix B: Review of the Tsunami Warning and Forecast System and Overview of the Nation’s Tsunami Preparedness
• Appendix C: Relative Hazards of Near- and Far-field Tsunami Sources
• Appendix D: Available Tsunami Evacuation Maps
• Appendix E: Examples of Tsunami Education Efforts
• Appendix F: June 14, 2005: A Case Study in Tsunami Warning and Response
• Appendix G: Magnitudes from C. Richter to Mwp and the W phase
• Appendix H: Tsunami Earthquakes
• Appendix I: Samoa Tsunami
• Appendix J: Response to the Chilean-Earthquake Generated Tsunami: The Hawaii Case Study
• Appendix K: Acronyms
• Appendix L: Committee and Staff Biographies