Tsunami awareness is the best protection
| • | Tsunamis in Hawai'i: Eyewitnesses remember |
| • | East O'ahu resident, 93, considers herself lucky survivor |
| • | Major tsunamis recorded in Hawai'i |
By Jan TenBruggencate
Advertiser Science Writer
Although scientists cannot yet predict a tsunami, they are getting better and better at warning people once a potentially devastating wave has been generated.
The next step is being sure people know what to do once they've received a warning. That is one of the purposes of designating April as Tsunami Awareness Month in the Islands.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in 'Ewa Beach is at the hub of a network of seismic equipment, ocean-floor sensors and computers linked to centers across the Pacific. It also works with state Civil Defense officials, the U.S. Geological Survey and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
"We can't accurately predict when and where earthquakes will occur, but we can determine if a tsunami is generated and help the public learn how best to protect themselves and their families from harm," said Charles McCreery, director of the center.
One of the pressing issues is speeding up the process of notifying coastal residents in case of a locally generated tsunami. A Hawai'i earthquake or offshore landslide could send a wave crashing ashore within minutes — as it did in 1975, killing two on the Big Island — rather than the several hours of notice the public would get from a quake in Alaska or South America.
Former residents of the Big Island village of Shinmachi, destroyed 55 years ago today by the 1946 tsunami, know the risks very well. They hold a luncheon today at Wailoa State Park, where their homes once stood.
Other talks and displays are scheduled throughout the month.
• Thursday, 7 p.m., 'Aiea Public Library: Discussion featuring Paul Takamiya, O'ahu Civil Defense Agency; Dan Walker, adviser to O'ahu Civil Defense; and Jeanne Johnston, 1946 tsunami survivor.
• Friday, Laupahoehoe: Morning cleanup of Laupahoehoe Point park and talk-story session, with a ceremony at 12:30 p.m.
• April 6-7, 13-14, 20-21, 27-28, 9 to 11 a.m., Pacific Tsunami Warning Center: Open house at the center in 'Ewa Beach; 689-8207.
• April 20, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Hawai'i Community College, Hilo: 13th annual Earth Day Fair.
• April 21-22, 10 a.m-5 p.m., Ala Moana Park: Tsunami booth, Great Keiki and Teen Festival.
• April 28, 10 a.m., Pacific Tsunami Museum, Hilo: Talk by Big Island Mayor Harry Kim, the former Civil Defense chief.
• Other tsunami programs: April 10, 6 p.m., Wahiawa Public Library; April 11, 6:30 p.m., Koloa Public Library, Kaua'i; April 17, 6:30 p.m., Kahuku Public Library; April 17, 6:30 p.m., Lahaina Public Library, Maui; April 18, 6:30 p.m., Kahului Public Library, Maui; April 18, 6:30 p.m., Waimea Public Library, Kaua'i; April 21, 1 p.m., Hilo Public Library; April 25, noon, Hawai'i State Library.
