Tsunami?
Apr 2nd 2007, 8:40 am
#46
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Re: Tsunami?
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........
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........
The media didnt help when a local radio station claimed the warning had been withdrawn at the same time as BOM was updating the warning.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
Apr 2nd 2007, 9:22 am
#47
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Apr 2nd 2007, 9:24 am
#48
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Re: Tsunami?
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........
We evacuated essential services early this morning and the fall out has lasted all day. At least we were on top of it. (rather than underneath it
Apr 2nd 2007, 10:02 am
#50
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Re: Tsunami?
WW
Apr 2nd 2007, 10:26 am
#51
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Apr 2nd 2007, 11:14 am
#52
youngy73
Joined: Mar 2005
Location: kewarra beach, cairns
Posts: 940
Re: Tsunami?
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.
Apr 2nd 2007, 12:12 pm
#53
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Re: Tsunami?
Radio has a place but I wonder if the media releases are trimmed down to suit programming.
WW
Apr 2nd 2007, 12:19 pm
#54
Victorian Evangelist
Joined: Sep 2005
Location: Melbourne, by the beach, living the dream.
Posts: 7,704
Re: Tsunami?
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!
Buzzy
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!
Buzzy
Apr 2nd 2007, 1:08 pm
#55
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Re: Tsunami?
One thing that was noticeable to us today was the speed with which a 1800 number was made available - much quicker than Larry. We were told it was being broadcast on radio/TV etc - I'd be interested to know how true that was?
Apr 2nd 2007, 1:10 pm
#56
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Location: Keep true friends and puppets close, trust no-one else...
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Re: Tsunami?
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!
Buzzy
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!
Buzzy
Apr 2nd 2007, 9:40 pm
#57
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Location: Cairns
Posts: 3,918
Re: Tsunami?
'cos Steve wanted us to go home
he reckons we're 20 metres above sea level on our side of the highway?
Apr 4th 2007, 11:50 am
#59
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Re: Tsunami?
Ah, look, it was a bit scary for us at the time (and obviously by the posts on this thread, not everyone scares as easily as us...)but to put it in perspective, it is one of those 'once in a blue moon' events and could easily have happened anywhere around the coast of OZ.
I remember when the Cairns post did a locals supplement (January 2005) after the boxing day tsunami, basically saying that one would never hit us, as the reef would break it before it hit! Obviously not and that's where the panic comes in - lots of misinformation, panic because no one knows where is best to go to for higher ground and generally panic when you have children - your main concern is for them, to grab 'em and protect - then the headless chicken syndrome sets in - its all human nature...
If you're migrating anywhere in OZ, a Tsunami is equally as likely to hit wherever you are (if you're near coastal).
So, how's your outback lingo these days - I'm brushing up on mine as we speak!!!!
I remember when the Cairns post did a locals supplement (January 2005) after the boxing day tsunami, basically saying that one would never hit us, as the reef would break it before it hit! Obviously not and that's where the panic comes in - lots of misinformation, panic because no one knows where is best to go to for higher ground and generally panic when you have children - your main concern is for them, to grab 'em and protect - then the headless chicken syndrome sets in - its all human nature...
If you're migrating anywhere in OZ, a Tsunami is equally as likely to hit wherever you are (if you're near coastal).
So, how's your outback lingo these days - I'm brushing up on mine as we speak!!!!
Apr 4th 2007, 12:35 pm
#60
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Re: Tsunami?
Rabc could tell you that the guys up there had their disaster plans out and being activated.
The overall problem is though - the ocean is unpredictable, ann people got the best warning they could have got. If that earthquake had been closer, off NZ maybe, that tsunami could've hit the eastern coast of Aus while eevryone was still eating their sugar puffs. It could happen. It could even be an earthquake on the mainland itself....look at Newcastle (NSW) a few years ago......
Last edited by Pollyana; Apr 4th 2007 at 12:44 pm.