[expatguy]

I think that the notion that a tsunami warning could be adequately conveyed to everyone on every beach that could possibly be affected is a pipe dream.

The people had over an hour and a half. Things like this travel over the internet in the blink of an eye.

I understand very well what you are saying, but I might ask you why tornado warnings are posted on the internet in the United States? Surely that is not an adequete way to convery a warning.

[Dog Gone]

Posting tornado warnings in the US on the internet is horribly ineffectual. Perhaps a few folks have programs running on their desktop that will signal an alert while they are busy surfing other sites, but 99.9999% don't.

I used to live in Tornado Alley, and I still live in a tornado-prone area. You get your warnings from TV or radio after you notice the fact that the weather outside looks crazy. Even then, you don't really duck for cover until you hear the sound of a train in the distance.

All of the nations involved with these tsunamis are second or third world countries. A 90 minute warning would never have been conveyed to the people on the coast. A three and one-half day warning might have been helpful.

[nhoward14]

Understanding the history of the place, where nobody has any written record of anything like this happening before, I am not surprised people in the region didn't think about it.

Civilized countries or not, there is no way that with 2 hours warning they can get the message and implement a plan. If anything, a hastily issued warning would just cause mass panic and likely cause more deaths.