Posted on 12/31/2004 9:06:24 PM PST by Pharmboy
"The elders told us that if the water recedes fast it will reappear in the same quantity in which it disappeared," 65-year-old village chief Sarmao Kathalay
Interesting.
A blessed 2005, FRiends.
LOL Right, they should have just jumped on the cell phone and called the authorities. Every gypsie has one you know.
We are well in the North but sad as is everone. You know that people you chatted with are either dead or destitute in the wake of the tragedy. We are still thinking of Pan Yee village where the tour boats stop near Bond Rock. The entire town is built on piles over the sea with no land except steep cliffs to run to. At Puket, we usually went to one little restruant -- plastic chairs and rickety tables -- where the owners are particularly friendly and talkative. No way of knowing but our prayers are with them as well as all the thousands of others.
All in all, Thailand seems to be holding up quite well -- Buddhism and a culture which values compassion. People yet wish eachother a healthful and happy New Year which they face with optimism.
Sabai Pii Maay
Yes some of the countries knew about it and they decided not issue a warning because they thought it would hurt tourism BUT at the time they were told it was a 5.9 or something like that. I think India has admitted this.
When the quake occurred it took a while for them to know it was at least a 7.9
Every beach area in these countries should have signs on the beach and/or at the hotels (on the backs of the doors) about Tsunami's and I bet most of them now will do this.
Do a search on FR for the very first thread of the Quake. I was told it took the online quake sites at least 15 minutes to get up on the internet after it happened and almost 2 hours before it hit the 24 news headlines.
>>>When the quake occurred it took a while for them to know it was at least a 7.9
That isn't what the report says at NOAA. The links to the computer models that was generated AND SENT OUT were made from a quake registering at 8.0.
Why do a search at FR for 3rd hand information when I posted the information and links to NOAA with the actually reports that went out with the dates, times and graphics with the data that was sent?
The info on those sites has been changed. The first FR posts have the information as it came out. There was even posts on how it was changed or altered on the websites you mentioned.
But hey I was just trying to answer your questions and surely would not lie to you over this. Believe what you want.
No. They have the report that was created and sent out there too. They have documented 'what was sent'.
I live on Galveston Bay and at least 4 or 5 times a year most of the water drains out of the bay. Should I run for the hills?
I would think that even a 5 minute warning, would have
saved many of the lives.
Read this:
Within minutes following an alarm signaling the strong earthquake, the NOAA Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii issued an information bulletin to nations in the Pacific at 8:14 p.m. EST Saturday, indicating that a magnitude 8.0 earthquake (later upgraded to magnitude 9.0) had occurred off the west coast of Northern Sumatra, Indonesia. Because the earthquake, reported to be one of the strongest in the world (snip)
Found here: http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2004/s2357.htm
Computer animation that was made and SENT with the report:
http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/video/tsunami-indonesia12-2004.qt
Made from mapping an 8.0 earthquake that was later UPGRADED to 9.0
The warning went out based on 8.0
They were warned hours ahead of time.
Every beach area in these countries should have signs on the beach and/or at the hotels (on the backs of the doors) about Tsunami's and I bet most of them now will do this.
The first report I'd heard was of an 8.2 in Sumatra, in the Indian Ocean. Still, Hawaii's civil defense went to high gear. As the reports climbed to 8.5-8.9 and finally 9.0, HCD went into overdrive. Tsunamis are taken seriously here.
People think of seismic sea waves in Hollywood visions, a looming wave that crests and crashes on shore. What happens is the water near shore retreats, fascinating onlookers, then moments, later the sea charges in, inundating large areas. Some are drowned but most deaths are from being battered by debris. Survivors chances are slim since the community's infrastructure has been wiped out. Many die later from simple infections turning gangrenous. Diseases like dysentery, cholera and malaria rage in the following period. Hospitals and medical services are overwhelmed.
The terrible death tolls reported daily may well be small; hate to say it but it may double.
I grew up on the Pacific coast, played in waves and body-surfed as a kid. The further the water receded after a wave crashed on the shore, the bigger the wave that would follow it. I think that if I was on the beach and saw the water pulling back at such an extreme rate, I would instinctively run like hell to get away from the beach and to the highest ground possible. Sounds like these gypsy folks had that one down.
They changed it... there was someone on FR that verfied this. (maybe they will find this thread and verify what I am trying to point out to you.)
Anyhow...
Here are some of the first world reports (before they even knew about the Tsunami's - but finding the first FR thread about the quake will help even more, since they copy and paste the NOAA quake reports here on FR. - I have not found it again just yet)
Sumatra is among most active seismic zones
Indo-Asian News Service (subscription), India - Dec 25, 2004
... between 5.8 and 7.3 on the Richter scale were recorded from the Andaman and Nicobar islands by Sunday afternoon in the aftermath of the Indonesian quake. ...
Quake kills 15 in Indonesia
News24, South Africa - Dec 25, 2004
The Elshinta radio said nine people died in Banda Aceh, the capital of Aceh province, following the quake that seismologists in Jakarta said measured 6.8 on ...
Do a advanced News Google Search for QUAKE for 12/25 to 12/25 to find the very first news reports, many of them were out before anyone knew about the Tsunami's).
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.