Title
Tsunami warning and preparedness [electronic resource] : an assessment of the U.S. tsunami program and the nation's preparedness efforts / Committee on the Review of the Tsunami Warning and Forecast System and Overview of the Nation's Tsunami Preparedness, Ocean Studies Board, Division on Earth and Life Sciences, National Research Council of the National Academies.
ISBN
9780309137546 (electronic bk.)
0309137543 (electronic bk.)
9786613019042
6613019046
0309137535
9780309137539
Publication Details
Washington, D.C. : National Academies Press, c2011.
Language
English
Description
1 online resource (xi, 284 p.) : ill. (some col.), maps (some col.)
Call Number
GC223 .N388 2011eb
Dewey Decimal Classification
363.34/9
Summary
"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"--Publisher's description.
Note
"This study was supported by the University of Alaska Fairbanks under contract number UAF-08-0050, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration under contract number DG133W08SE4972, and the National Academy of Sciences"--T.p. verso.
Bibliography, etc. Note
Includes bibliographical references (p. 193-206).
Access Note
Access limited to authorized users.
Source of Description
Description based on print version record.
Executive summary
Summary
Introduction
Aligning priorities with societal risks from tsunamis
Education and preparedness of individuals, communities, and decision makers
Tsunami detection and forecasting
Long-term reliability and sustainability of warning center operations
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.