Tsunami Warning - How are people alerted?

Forums › Off topic › Tsunami Warning - How are people alerted?

jaymz

1136 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 76

#86483 7-Jul-2011 10:04

The first i heard of the tsunami warning this morning was when it was canceled.

Fair enough, i live in Hamilton so won't be effected by a tsunami, but how are people on the coasts of NZ alerted?

Is there a siren? Do we have to rely on Radio? Is there a person who comes to the door.

The radio station that the wife listens to (Classic Hits) which defintately spans coast to coast made no mention of this at 7.22am when it was switched on. there may have been something at the 7.30 news but i was in the shower. Surely waiting 30 mins to repeat the warning is too slow?

Thankfully it was not a major and has been canceled, but it does raise a few questions.

What would happen if the quake was just offshore from NZ, how much warning would we get?

1 | 2

352 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 24

ID Verified

Trusted

#490474 7-Jul-2011 10:42

That is a hot topic here in Tauranga.

They looked at sirens, too hard. then Japan happened & the seeming consensus is back to sirens with $$$ being not as much an object as before.

Any warning is good, but will never reach 100% of population. Text services & Helicopter warnings seem to be also the possible additions to that.

Oblivian

7345 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2117

ID Verified

#490475 7-Jul-2011 10:42

You have to get something clear here. It Was NOT, that is NOT a tsunami warning.

It was a potential thread advisory.

There is a large difference.

NOAA put out a potential threat advisory, which is simply saying.. there was a quake. There is a chance of a wave. We are monitoring it.

If one is detected of significance. A Threat advisory is put out. This is where they say, we know of a wave. And it will possibly hit these areas.

If this escalates due to size, it becomes a Tsunami Alert. Where local CD will evaluate if the need is there to evacuate areas and transmit on all radio stations and set off all the fire sirens etc.

CDEM activated the bunker this morning. They monitor the findings of NOAA etc, and stand down if the escalation process does not occur.

Hence, instead of causing major panic. They advise of a potential threat alert

And since our plight in Sept, there has been a fasttrack for SMS broadcast services, and they worked/work. JonR can elaborate more, but we were spammed with CD updates. And yesterday I got one from CDHB regarding flu vaccinations.

scuwp

3927 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2510

#490477 7-Jul-2011 10:44

Coastal areas where I have stayed have siren warning systems and evacuation plans.

I think if it was a significant threat you would know it...it would be on all radio and TV stations. The fact it wasn't indicates the threat level this time round.

My fear is these 'warnings' are getting a little bit like crying wolf...no ones going to listen if it actually ever happens.

Lazy is such an ugly word, I prefer to call it selective participation

Gilco2

1556 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 134

#490488 7-Jul-2011 11:04

we have no warning here at Papamoa. After on and off for sirens they are looking at 10 year plan to put small sirens throughout but oly 75 decibnel. Not sure if that is still on or if they have changed plans yet again. Either way we would never hear the 75 decibel sirens if we are sleeping

HTPC Intel Pentium G3258 cpu, Gigabyte H97n-wifi motherboard, , 8GB DDR3 ram, onboard graphics. Hauppuage HVR 5500 tuner, Silverstone LC16M case, Windows 10 pro 64 bit using Nextpvr and Kodi

ResponseMediaNZ

518 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 196

ID Verified

Trusted

#490499 7-Jul-2011 11:16

Oblivian: You have to get something clear here. It Was NOT, that is NOT a tsunami warning.

It was a potential thread advisory.

There is a large difference.

NOAA put out a potential threat advisory, which is simply saying.. there was a quake. There is a chance of a wave. We are monitoring it.

If one is detected of significance. A Threat advisory is put out. This is where they say, we know of a wave. And it will possibly hit these areas.

If this escalates due to size, it becomes a Tsunami Alert. Where local CD will evaluate if the need is there to evacuate areas and transmit on all radio stations and set off all the fire sirens etc.

CDEM activated the bunker this morning. They monitor the findings of NOAA etc, and stand down if the escalation process does not occur.

Hence, instead of causing major panic. They advise of a potential threat alert

And since our plight in Sept, there has been a fasttrack for SMS broadcast services, and they worked/work. JonR can elaborate more, but we were spammed with CD updates. And yesterday I got one from CDHB regarding flu vaccinations.

MCDEM did change it from a Potential Threat Advisory to a Full Marine Threat before cancelling it.

PTWC & NOAA advise the MCDEM & GNS of a Threat to NZ and then our think tanks and teams work out if there is a threat to NZ

The only Official Information on Disasters will be coming out of Civil Defence..

scuwp

3927 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2510

#490502 7-Jul-2011 11:20

Civil Defence admits mixed messages over tsunami

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10736913

Lazy is such an ugly word, I prefer to call it selective participation

Mighty Ape

Shop now at Mighty Ape (affiliate link).

PaulBrislen

198 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 52

Trusted

#490503 7-Jul-2011 11:21

TXT messages are often proposed for this kind of thing but face a number of hurdles, not least of which are:

1: How do you know who to alert (or do you just alert everyone?)
2: It takes to to TXT an entire customer base so any blanket TXT would take hours if not days to deliver to everyone... not quite the timely send everyone would hope for.
3: What do you for people who refuse to have mobiles or have them switched off etc.

These aren't insurmountable, but it's not as easy as some punters (not here thankfully) would have you believe.

I am somewhat concerned that we're training our citizens to ignore tsunami warnings by having a steady round of "it might be on its way oh look it's not" in the media. Different problem though.

cheers

Paul

ResponseMediaNZ

518 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 196

ID Verified

Trusted

#490511 7-Jul-2011 11:37

scuwp: Civil Defence admits mixed messages over tsunami

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10736913

Agreed but as per the quote on from the National Operations Manager below from that site.

----------------------------------------------------------

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre issued and cancelled its tsunami warnings before the Civil Defence, however the PTWC warnings are not an official status for New Zealand.

Civil Defence advisories are the official status for New Zealand.

Civil Defence operations manager David Coetzee said there were mixed messages as to the warning situation this morning.

"I appreciate it can be pretty confusing," he said.

--------------------------------------------------------

There is a consistant message issue here is that the media jump to a news story and create panic before Civil Defence can actually act on these other advisories from other agencies.

Here is the Consistent Messages part of the Civil Defence Website.
http://www.civildefence.govt.nz/memwebsite.nsf/wpg_URL/For-the-CDEM-Sector-Consistent-Messages-for-CDEM-Index?OpenDocument

Byrned

455 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 27

#490579 7-Jul-2011 13:41

Just talking Japan here as an example of a warning system, but don't they have an automated system setup that whenever an earthquake is detected a SMS is sent to all that subscribe to the service.

If I remember correctly they were saying that people in Tokyo were getting SMS messages about the earthquake upto 5 seconds before they acutally felt it.

CYaBro

4708 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1182

ID Verified

Trusted

#490583 7-Jul-2011 13:49

We had sirens here in Whangarei this morning.
Not sure what you are supposed to do when they go off though other than perhaps run for high ground.
No one seemed to be taking any notice of them.

Opinions are my own and not the views of my employer.

CdTDroiD

869 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 4

Trusted

#490620 7-Jul-2011 15:15

Surly all the mobile providers could send a TXT to all if alerted. would be a good start. otherwise just run when you see a big wave?

Follow me on Twitter !
Get help with Android from a XDA Recognized Developer - Google+

Dell

Shop now for Dell laptops and other devices (affiliate link).

codyc1515

1598 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#490624 7-Jul-2011 15:16

scuwp: I think if it was a significant threat you would know it...it would be on all radio and TV stations.

Yes BUT what happens if you are not watching TV or listening to the radio? (e.g. you are at work, working).

CYaBro: We had sirens here in Whangarei this morning ... No one seemed to be taking any notice of them.

Do they sound different to the normal Fire sirens?

stuzz

352 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 24

ID Verified

Trusted

#490627 7-Jul-2011 15:19

CdTDroiD: Surly all the mobile providers could send a TXT to all if alerted. would be a good start. otherwise just run when you see a big wave?

We were discussing at work that it could be a response from the cell network providers to a geographical area. Surely they can do a targeted broadcast

CdTDroiD

869 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 4

Trusted

#490628 7-Jul-2011 15:20

codyc1515:
scuwp: I think if it was a significant threat you would know it...it would be on all radio and TV stations.

Yes BUT what happens if you are not watching TV or listening to the radio? (e.g. you are at work, working).

There would be a good chance of me not knowing if it was just radio and TV but also i think the news would spread pretty fast if it was a serious threat. People tend to talk and txt...

Follow me on Twitter !
Get help with Android from a XDA Recognized Developer - Google+

codyc1515

1598 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#490629 7-Jul-2011 15:21

stuzz:
CdTDroiD: Surly all the mobile providers could send a TXT to all if alerted. would be a good start. otherwise just run when you see a big wave?

We were discussing at work that it could surely be a response from the cell network providers to a geographical area. Surely they can do a targeted broadcast

I do believe they could do this, but I'm not sure if they would have something like this setup. Also, imagine if it was in a place such as Auckland with many, many phones: I am quite sure it would overload the network.

1 | 2