Strategic Implementation Plan For Tsunami Mitigation Projects

"The purpose of this report is to document progress and disseminate information about tsunami hazard mitigation products and activities supported by the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program (NTHMP). The States of Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington have highlighted products and activities as models for other states and territories based upon their success or expected success in reducing tsunami hazards"--Page 1

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.

As the world grieves over the catastrophic loss of humanity from the 26 December 2004 tsunami, we must resolve to learn from nature’s lessons. This issue provides a framework and a set of tools to develop communities that are resilient to tsunami. This collection of papers represents a starting point on our new journey toward a safer world. The history of tsunami hazard mitigation tracks well with the history of destructive tsunamis in the United States. Following the 1946 Alaska g- erated tsunami that killed 173 people in Hawaii, the Paci?c Tsunami Warning Center was established in Hawaii by a predecessor agency to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Following the 1960 Chilean tsunami that killed 1,000 people in Chile, 61 in Hawaii, and 199 in Japan, the United States formed the Joint Tsunami Research E?ort (JTRE) and sta?ed the International Tsunami Information Center (ITIC) in Hawaii. JTRE was formed to conduct research on tsunamis while ITIC, sponsored by the United Nations, was formed to coordinate tsunami warning e?orts of the Paci?c Countries. Many research and mitigation e?orts were focused on the distant tsunami problem. Following the 1964 Alaskan t- nami that killed 117 in Alaska, 11 in California, and 4 in Oregon, the U. S. was confronted with the local tsunami problem. In response, the U. S. established the Alaska Tsunami Warning Center in Palmer, Alaska. In 1992, a Ms 7.

A working group was formed to review 12 recommendations from 1995 NOAA report to develop state/federal partnership to reduce the impact of tsunamis through the implementation of 5 recommendations.

This book is the first major attempt to address, comprehensively and in-depth, the many issues associated with water and disasters. It is particularly relevant and topical in view of the increasing frequency and intensity of water-triggered disasters that have afflicted the world in recent years, among them the Indian Ocean Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina. Water and Disasters is a global survey - and assessment of the causes, consequences and post-recovery policies - concerning water disasters. The chapters include empirical studies, case histories, conceptual-theoretical investigations, policy perspectives, institutional analysis, and risk analysis, among others. The book features a comprehensive discussion of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, as well as major floods and droughts in England, Wales, China and the western United States. It also includes chapters on advances in decision support systems for flood disaster management and rainfall insurance. This volume should be of special interest to disaster management planners and practitioners globally, primarily in the domain of water, in crafting creative solutions for tackling the disasters effectively, efficiently and rapidly. This book was previously published as a special issue of International Journal of Water Resources Development.