Tsunami Preparedness Act

U.S. tsunami warning system and S. 50, "The Tsunami Preparedness Act of 2005" : hearing before the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, United States Senate, One Hundred Ninth Congress, first session, February 2, 2005.

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.

In June 2006, there were a number of concerns about the level of U.S. tsunami preparedness. The Nat. Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin. (NOAA) leads U.S. efforts through three key programs: the Tsunami Program, which focuses on detection and warning activities; the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program, which is a partnership with federal and state agencies focusing on hazard assessment and mitigation; and TsunamiReady, which is a partnership with at-risk communities focusing on educ. and emergency planning. This report addresses: (1) the extent to which NOAA developed effective strategic plans for its tsunami programs; and (2) the status of NOAA's efforts to strengthen and expand the programs and move tsunami research to application.

This study attempts to show than an integrated tsunami warning system involves a wide range of considerations across all three stages of the dissemination network. Within this context, the authors offer a series of conclusions that could be used to strengthen key components of Canada's west coast tsunami warning system and related risk reduction practices.