Originally Posted by Pollyana (Post 4591318)

No-one knew what it would do when it got here, as there was so much ocean to cross. I'm guessing a bit about why the beaches were closed later in the day, but there was still an alert for bigger waves than usual, so I think it was probably a better safe than sorry - as Biggy said, the ocean was very weird.
It could have been very nasty - the Solomons got it badly, and anyone who thinks the authorities overreacted here should remember - if we hadn't issued any warnings, and Qld had been hit badly, you'd all have been baying for our blood. Better safe than sorry.

There really was an air of holding our breath at work - with the cyclones you see them coimng on radar, you can predict the track and strength to some extent. A tsunami is a lot harder to track, and just builds out of nowhere, one minute things are calm, next minute you have an earthquake and a mega-wave.
A lot of evacuation plans were being put into action, but its a tightrope to wlak - how soon do you move people, how soon are you sure the wave is coming........

Originally Posted by Rabc (Post 4591346)

So can I and it's 6.30 in the evening :blink:

Originally Posted by wanderingwombat (Post 4591377)

The response was appropriate, it's just the public hadnt been educated as to what it all meant and how to respond.

The media didnt help when a local radio station claimed the warning had been withdrawn at the same time as BOM was updating the warning.

WW

Originally Posted by Pollyana (Post 4591518)

Yeah, I bet you had a busy one too....?

Originally Posted by Pollyana (Post 4591524)

Great, thats all we need.
For info, the media releases that come out from EMQ & Emergency Services go straight to ABC, and the advice we were told to give people this morning was to keep tuned to ABC. Hopefully THEY had the rigth info........

Originally Posted by wanderingwombat (Post 4591662)

Err,I think the boss listens to ABC and that's who informed us about the warning withdrawl .....

WW

Originally Posted by steandleigh (Post 4591296)

Ste and I were in the city and we met up and then drove to the kids school, collected them and went home together - when you've got children you want to have them under your wing and to be together.

Originally Posted by Pollyana (Post 4591728)

OK, thanks for the info, I'll pass it up the line tomorrow. Its the only way it'll go smoother next time is if we get the feedback on the problems :)

Originally Posted by wanderingwombat (Post 4592034)

An easy-to-find 'impending disaster' one stop web site that combines all official info would be really useful to try to plan a personal course of action.

Radio has a place but I wonder if the media releases are trimmed down to suit programming.

WW

Originally Posted by Buzzy--Bee (Post 4592057)

If anyone's interested - Mrs Buzzy and I were saved from the Tsunami in Sri Lanka..... by our unborn twins!

The Doctor banned Mrs B from flying due to twin pregnancy, if she hadn't been pregnant, we would have landed in Sri Lanka at 5.30am on Boxing Day 2004.

Phew!

:beer:

Buzzy

Originally Posted by youngy73 (Post 4591892)

i here what your saying leigh but if you were concerned why would you come home to kewarra. why not drive up redlynch valley to the higher ground when you picked the kids up.

Originally Posted by steandleigh (Post 4591296)

Ste and I were in the city and we met up and then drove to the kids school, collected them and went home together - when you've got children you want to have them under your wing and to be together.

Originally Posted by RooksieJ (Post 4596699)

youre giving me the sh*ts now mate :ohmy:

Originally Posted by steandleigh (Post 4600793)

.

If you're migrating anywhere in OZ, a Tsunami is equally as likely to hit wherever you are (if you're near coastal).