[SolutionsOnly]

I have nothing but harsh words for armchair quarterbacks and their 20/20 hindsight. Tsunami's are way outside the realm of the familiar. By the time one can finish uttering the words 'What is going on?' - it's too late. Things simply happen too fast, the distances to safety too great.

[EternalVigilance]

You betcha.

[enigma825]

WHen we had a tsunami warning in San Diego in 1986 afer an earthquake in Hawaii, everybody went TO the beach to watch. Thankfully, or unfortunately for the gene pool, the warning was a false one.

[monday]

"Things simply happen too fast, the distances to safety too great."

and yet many people did out run it and reach safty.

[oldcomputerguy]

"Things simply happen too fast, the distances to safety too great."

I seem to recall a witness description indicating an elapsed time of 50 minutes from the time the water was sucked out of a bay till the wave came in. I believe in the Hilo event, curious people went to pick up fish etc that were exposed.

[cupcakes]

Yup, I would have to agree. Who would in their right mind stand there knowing something with such capacity for destruction is coming? I can't think of one sane person who would. These folks simply did not know until it was too late that they were in great danger.