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If This Had Been an Actual Tsunami ...
Yahoo news - LA Times ^ | June 16, 2005 | Jia-Rui Chong and Hector Becerra

Posted on 06/16/2005 7:30:19 AM PDT by phoenix_004

California's first tsunami warning in more than a decade triggered an uneven response in coastal communities up and down the state, with some agencies rushing to evacuate beaches and others deciding not to warn the public at all. On Wednesday, as officials assessed the way they had handled the emergency, there was general agreement that much more needed to be done.

"I don't think all the agencies got an A-plus on their response," said Los Angeles Councilwoman Janice Hahn, who has asked for a report on how emergency teams handled the tsunami warning. "We're lucky we just had a trial run."

The tsunami alert, issued by the National Weather Service after a 7.2 magnitude quake struck off the coast of Northern California on Tuesday night, trickled down to local emergency officials in inconsistent ways.

Many received teletype messages from the state, but in some cases local authorities got the notices just as the wave was projected to hit. Some officials said they learned about the alert by watching television or receiving calls from panicked residents who had heard about the alert on TV.

The warning, the highest possible alert from the federal government, prompted confusion at some police departments. In Santa Monica, officials thought it was "just informational, only a bulletin," said Police Sgt. Jeff Wiles. Assuming that they would receive an update if the situation became more serious, city officials decided not to open their emergency operations center.

In Huntington Beach, the police watch commander on duty had trouble interpreting the bulletins and wasn't sure whether a tsunami warning was actually in effect. "They were confusing to read through," said Lt. Craig Junginger. "It talks about wind variables and knots and waves."

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: California
KEYWORDS: tsunami; tsunamiwarning

1 posted on 06/16/2005 7:30:20 AM PDT by phoenix_004
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To: tubebender; Grampa Dave

Wouldn't it be nice if they got their act together ping.


2 posted on 06/16/2005 7:42:06 AM PDT by glock rocks ( There are not enough liberals in Utah to bother to appease. - Warren Keuffel)
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To: phoenix_004

Last night I was talking to a friend on the west coast of Vancouver island and she told me they also had tsunami warnings and people were scrambling around like chickens with their heads cut off, mostly speeding for high ground. She was on the phone and missed the whole thing. Didn't even hear about it until the next morning.


3 posted on 06/16/2005 7:46:16 AM PDT by Mr. Mulliner (Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati)
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To: glock rocks

As I suspected the Warning Center actually doesn't directly contact the media at all; It's "Teletypes" to assorted governmental offices.

They need to get set up to contact the Cable News networks and local TV and radio stations DIRECTLY.


4 posted on 06/16/2005 7:49:37 AM PDT by Strategerist
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To: Strategerist

Hollywood please stay in place-don't move! One way to clean our country up!


5 posted on 06/16/2005 7:54:45 AM PDT by LYSandra
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To: LYSandra

Hollywood is never going to be impacted by a Tsunami. It's well inland.


6 posted on 06/16/2005 7:59:20 AM PDT by Strategerist
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To: phoenix_004
...some agencies ... deciding not to warn the public at all.

Fron what nations have we heard that one before?

7 posted on 06/16/2005 8:00:22 AM PDT by theDentist (The Dems have put all their eggs in one basket-case: Howard "Belltower" Dean.)
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To: glock rocks; tubebender; SierraWasp; Ernest_at_the_Beach

"Wouldn't it be nice if they got their act together ping."

First there will have to be another Tsunami that hits our west coast.

Then, Bush, Cheney, Rummy, Abu Grab and Gitmo will be blamed.

There will be months of whining by Pelosi Galore, Boxer, Fineswine and other rats in congress.

All agencies, regardless of function in coastal states will demand more money and expensive training programs.

Then some half @@, you know what program, will come out.





8 posted on 06/16/2005 8:00:44 AM PDT by Grampa Dave (The MSM has been a WMD, Weapon of Mass Disinformation for the Rats for at least 5 decades.)
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To: theDentist

Reading this article, It's abundantly clear that if even if the Indian Ocean nations had gotten warnings quickly down the the local level, that basically nothing would have happened, making the whole "WHY WEREN'T THEY WARNED?" controversy over the Dec. 26 tsunami moot.


9 posted on 06/16/2005 8:08:55 AM PDT by Strategerist
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To: glock rocks
For all the problems that showed up this time it is a blessing for future warnings. There is no time for second guessing near the epicenter of a major quake. While this was a Slip/Strike event it could have triggered a undersea landslide that could trigger a tsunami.

Crescent City lost 11 citizens and suffered millions of dollars in damage in the Tsunami of 1964...Click Here

10 posted on 06/16/2005 8:11:34 AM PDT by tubebender (Growing old is mandatory...Growing up is optional)
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To: Strategerist

Yup! And yet those same nations and people who didn't issue the warning are suing the US as a result of their own negligence. I bet some hapless yahoo in California sues because he wasn't informed there was a potential tsunami on the way.


11 posted on 06/16/2005 8:17:16 AM PDT by theDentist (The Dems have put all their eggs in one basket-case: Howard "Belltower" Dean.)
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To: Strategerist

"Hollywood is never going to be impacted by a Tsunami. It's well inland."


Well, if a tsunami is out of the realm of the possible, can we at least hope for the mother of all mudslides?


12 posted on 06/16/2005 8:21:42 AM PDT by GladesGuru ("In a society predicated upon liberty, it is essential to examine principles)
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To: Grampa Dave

ROFL!!


Your Government at work.....not a pretty sight!


13 posted on 06/16/2005 8:22:23 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach; SierraWasp; tubebender

Particuliarly out here in California, when the state, county and local governments gear up to try and get more funding to pay for what they should have been doing in the first place.


14 posted on 06/16/2005 8:48:03 AM PDT by Grampa Dave (The MSM has been a WMD, Weapon of Mass Disinformation for the Rats for at least 5 decades.)
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To: Grampa Dave
First there will have to be another Tsunami that hits our west coast.

Then, Bush, Cheney, Rummy, Abu Grab and Gitmo will be blamed.

There will be months of whining by Pelosi Galore, Boxer, Fineswine and other rats in congress.

Couldn't we have it arranged so that the RATs are touring the beaches? :-)

15 posted on 06/16/2005 11:29:44 AM PDT by steveegg (Only to a MARXIST is a VOTE considered a POWER GRAB. (thanks Seaplaner))
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To: Grampa Dave

What's so disgusting is... We all know it's true!!!


16 posted on 06/16/2005 11:41:03 AM PDT by SierraWasp (Arnold Schwarzenrenegger is Cauleeforneeah's Greenievenator!!! He's infected with GANG-GREEN!!!)
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To: Grampa Dave; Ernest_at_the_Beach

Yet our government(s) keep goofin around with alla this GANG-GREEN garbage!!!


17 posted on 06/16/2005 11:42:19 AM PDT by SierraWasp (Arnold Schwarzenrenegger is Cauleeforneeah's Greenievenator!!! He's infected with GANG-GREEN!!!)
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To: steveegg

"Couldn't we have it arranged so that the RATs are touring the beaches? :-)"


That might be tough to schedule.:)


18 posted on 06/16/2005 11:54:25 AM PDT by Grampa Dave (The MSM has been a WMD, Weapon of Mass Disinformation for the Rats for at least 5 decades.)
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To: glock rocks
Wouldn't it be nice if they got their act together ping.

To be fair, the likelihood of a dangerous tsunami from a 7.0 in that location was less than 1%, and the agravation factor of millions of people who would feel like somebody cried wolf probably played into this.

19 posted on 06/16/2005 1:03:00 PM PDT by editor-surveyor (The Lord has given us President Bush; let's now turn this nation back to him)
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To: glock rocks
Wouldn't it be nice if they got their act together ping.

Government just doesn't have enough money to do that. Government never has enough money, so don't expect anything. Except higher taxes. Which means that, eventually, there still won't be enough money.

20 posted on 06/16/2005 1:36:40 PM PDT by Hank Rearden (Never allow anyone who could only get a government job attempt to tell you how to run your life.)
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