P A C I F I C D I S A S T E R C E N T E R

Pacific Disaster Center

590 Lipoa Parkway, Suite 259

Kihei, Maui, Hawaii 96753http://www.pdc.org

Tsunamis Mother

Nature’s Weapon of

Mass Destruction

P A C I F I C D I S A S T E R C E N T E R

Agenda

• Tsunami Overview

• Tsunami Risk in the Pacific

• Tsunamis that have Affected Hawaii

• Tsunami Alert and Notification System

• Mitigation to reduce the Tsunami Threat

• Open Discussion

P A C I F I C D I S A S T E R C E N T E R

590 Lipoa Parkway, Suite 259

Kihei, Maui, Hawaii 96753http://www.pdc.org - Contact@pdc.org

1-808-891-7939 - 1-808-891-0526 (Fax)

Pacific Disaster Center

What is a Tsunami ?

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P A C I F I C D I S A S T E R C E N T E R

What is a Tsunami?

Tsunami (soo-NAH-mee) is a series of waves of extremely long wave length and long period, generated in a body of water by an impulsive disturbance that displaces the water.

Tsunami is a Japanese word represented by two characters: "tsu" and "nami". The character "tsu" means harbor, while the character "nami" means wave.

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What Causes a Tsunami?

Earthquakes Landslides MeteoritesEarthquakes generate tsunamis when the sea floor abruptly deforms and displaces the overlying water from its equilibrium position. Waves are formed when the displaced water mass, acting under the influence of gravity, attempts to regain its equilibrium. Note: In the open ocean typically tsunamis travel at the speed of a jet plane.

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Historical Tsunami Events

Tsunami Risk in the Pacific

Historical Tsunami Events

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Tsunami Risk in the Asia and Pacific Regions

Since the 1900s, there has been over 800 recorded tsunamis of which 136 were destructive, resulting in over 300,000 deaths

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Tsunami Risk in the Asia and Pacific Regions

Losses resulting from as Asia and Pacific-Wide Tsunamis:Years Location Deaths

1923 TOKAIDO, JAPAN 2,1441933 SANRIKU, JAPAN* 3,0001946 NANKAIDO, JAPAN 1,9971960 S. CENTRAL CHILE 1,2601976 MORO GULF, PHILIPPINES 8,0001992 FLORES REGION, INDONESIA 1,0001998 PAPUA NEW GUINEA 2,1822004 INDIAN OCEAN* 265,000

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Tsunamis that have Affected Hawaii

In Hawaii, Tsunamis have killed more people than all the disaster combined. Hawaii has experienced destructive Tsunamis in:

Years Deaths Damage ($)1946 159 26,000,0001952 0 1,000,0001957 0 5,000,0001960 61 23,000,0001975 2 4,100,000

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Tsunamis that have Affected Hawaii

P A C I F I C D I S A S T E R C E N T E R

Tsunamis that have Affected Hawaii

P A C I F I C D I S A S T E R C E N T E R

Tsunamis that have Affected Hawaii

P A C I F I C D I S A S T E R C E N T E R

Tsunamis that have Affected Hawaii

P A C I F I C D I S A S T E R C E N T E R

Tsunamis that have Affected Hawaii

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Tsunamis that have Affected Hawaii

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What the PDC is doing to make of Difference

P A C I F I C D I S A S T E R C E N T E R

What the PDC is doing to make of Difference

• Develop a Tsunami Automated Notifications to improve early warning.

• Use numerical modeling to create inundation and evacuation maps.

• Develop products for decision and policy makes showing the socioeconomic impacts of tsunami inundation.

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What the PDC is doing to make of Difference

• Important components of effective warning system

• Response plan – defines roles and responsibilities

• Communication system methods• Public education about te tsunamis hazard

(tsunami awareness week)• Tsunami Evacuation Maps

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What the PDC is doing to make of Difference

• PTWC - provides tsunami warnings to public officials in tsunami-prone areas, Hawaii, and U.S.-affiliated Pacific Island Territories

• Civil Defense Agencies - provides tsunami warnings to the public, activating tsunami alert systems, manages the evacuation, and operations the shelters

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What the PDC is doing to make of Difference

• Automated Digital Network (AUTODIN) is to disseminate tsunami bulletins to U.S. Department of Defense.

• Aeronautical Fixed Telecommunications Network (AFTN) is a worldwide system of circuits for exchanging messages or digital data.

• National Meteorological Center (NMC) is used to send Tsunami Bulletins into the (WMO) Global Telecommunications System.

• NOAA Weather Wire (NWW) is a satellite broadcast service maintained by the NWS to disseminate weather products domestically.

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What the PDC is doing to make of Difference

• Hawaii State Civil Defense (HCD) is a telecommunications network that connects Weather Service Offices, State and County Civil Defense offices.

• TELEX – is for remote stations or dissemination agencies that do not have access.

• Internet – A group email list (emergency managers and media) is maintained.

• National Warning System (NAWAS) is a nationwide dedicated voice telephone system.

• Hawaii Warning System (HAWAS) is a statewide dedicated voice telephone system.

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What the PDC is doing to make of Difference

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What the PDC is doing to make of Difference

TWS presently has 26 member states:• Australia, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, • the Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Democratic People’s

• Republic of Korea, Ecuador, El Salvador, Fiji, • France, Guatemala, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico,• New Zealand, Nicaragua, Peru, Philippines,

• Republic of Korea, Samoa, Singapore, • Thailand, the Russian Federation and the U.S.

P A C I F I C D I S A S T E R C E N T E R Pacific

Disaster Center

Automated Tsunami Alert System

Automated Notification – Pager, Cell Phones & Email

MobileTelecommunications

Switching Office

Pacific Disaster Center Proprietary and Confidential

Input

Output

Output

PDC Private Website

Emergency Management

Operations System (EMOPS)

System Output:Automatic Notification

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Message

Processor

PDC Automated Process Emergency Officials

Posted to PDC WebsitePosted to PDC Website

Automated EmailAutomated Email

20 Latest Messages20 Latest Messages

Tsunami Travel Time Model

Tsunami Travel Time Model

Extracts Data From Tsunami

Bulletin

Text Messaging to Pagers and Cell Phones

Text Messaging to Pagers and Cell Phones

PDC Subscribers Receive Tsunami

Bulletin

PDC Subscribers Receive Tsunami

Bulletin

Automated PagingAutomated Paging

Posted to PDC Website Posted to PDC Website

Automated ProcessesReaching Emergency Officials

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Overview, 1

System Output: 20 Latest Messages

Pacific Disaster Center Proprietary and Confidential

Messages Automatically Posted to PDC

Private Website: Emergency

Management Operations

System (EMOPS)

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Tsunami Alert Model Tsunami Bulletin

Pacific Tsunami Warning Center

Bulletin

Time of Arrival – Displayed by

Time

Time of Arrival – Displayed by

Name

PDC Tsunami Alert Model

Pacific Disaster Center Proprietary and Confidential

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Hawaiian Islands

Earthquake Epicenter

Tsunami Travel Time Map

Pacific Disaster Center Proprietary and Confidential

Tsunami Travel Time

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Risk & Vulnerability Assessment

The PDC has been working closely with regional organizations in applying models, analysis tools, and GIS to develop products for assessing and visualizing the impacts of tsunami inundation.

Courtesy of Vasily Titov

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Pacific Disaster Center Meets with Fiji Cabinet

Showing a simulation depicting the tsunami inundation in modern daySuva, Fiji based on the 1953 Tsunamigenic earthquake

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Tsunami Simulation Suva Harbor Area Onshore View

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Tsunami Simulation Suva Harbor Area Onshore View

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Tsunami SimulationSuva Harbor Area

Offshore View

Tsunami Simulation Suva Harbor Area Offshore View

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Tsunami Simulation Suva Harbor Area Side View

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Risk & Vulnerability Assessment

• Moving from a reactive to a proactive approach to emergency management

• Improved capability to predict levels of damage, and the economical and social impacts of different disaster types

Exposure of Critical FacilitiesExposure of Critical FacilitiesTsunami Inundation

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Risk & Vulnerability Assessment

PDC has used the Method of Splitting Tsunami Mofjeld (MOST) model was used to simulate tsunami evolution and to estimate the maximum inundation based upon a hypothetical earthquake event.

The model has been applied to inundation studies in Vanuatu and Fiji.

The Model also accounts for inner wave interaction and directionality.