It's 11 p.m. HST, and Hawaii has been on tsunami alert for about an hour following the tragic earthquake in Japan. A truck is circling our neighborhood, with a man giving an emergency management message over a loudspeaker: "Extremely dangerous waves are expected at 3 am. Occupants of high-rise buildings are advised to go to the third floor or above without delay."
We won't be evacuating our two-story house this year, having done the full drill last February when the Chilean earthquake struck and a 30-foot wave was predicted to hit Hawaiian shores (it turned out to be six inches). We live in a no man's land on the tsunami evacuation map -- on the far side of the evacuation line that follows Diamond Head Road, but only two short blocks from the water's edge. Do we trust the authorities and their maps? No. We're hedging our bets and ready to walk up the hill if we see the sea start to recede. Although, come to think of it, we probably won't see it, since it'll be dark at 3:07 am, estimated arrival time for the first wave.
It's a clear night, a quarter moon and scattering of stars. Through my window I can hear the couple next door, the one with the young toddler, packing supplies in their kitchen. Our new neighbor, the Hawaii 5-0 star, roars off in his pickup truck. At least our area "tidal wave" siren -- in Waikiki -- is working this year. And the TV news isn't telling us to go shopping, so roads will hopefully not be blocked with unnecessary traffic should emergency vehicles need to get through.
Apart from that, we've made no progress in disaster prep or survival smarts: Hawaii's no more food or energy secure than we were last year. We continue to import 85-90% of our food and 100% of the fossil fuels that produce 90% of our energy. To counter this, the utility and state government are heavily promoting the development of biofuels, which will commandeer agricultural land that could be used to grow more food.
Also in the name of sustainability, Honolulu last month broke ground on a long-deferred light rail project intended to reduce our reliance on petroleum. Ironically, the rail line begins in agricultural lands that are devoid of commuters -- for now. Obviously the plan is to rezone those lands for urban use to fuel the endless, mindless development that keeps some Hawaii citizens in short-term jobs. Which is not sustainable.
Sadly, the earthquake may arrive on the first day of a sustainability food and design weekend at the Halekulani Hotel on the beach at Waikiki, which celebrates local food producers and benefits the community college culinary institute that produces fine local-grown chefs.
I was planning on attending, so I didn't go food shopping earlier today, when I had the chance!
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Tsunami Warning Center - National Weather Service Pacific Region ...
Hawaii Tsunami: Hotels Implement 'Vertical Evacuation'
we live on the big island. there are many people here living the life you claim to support. it requires a somewhat minamalist life, off grid with a network of like minded people practicing a loose version of community supported agriculture. what you want is here and is working.
Mindy, you won't have to be too concerned you won't have enough word beforehand since the civil defense people really are on the ball, IMO.
There are still lolo folks who don't take tsunami seriously and think it's some kind of spectator sport where you have to have a ringside seat. Then there are those who feel that they have to gather their kids and head for home resulting in the big backup on the roads and even highways.
What really needs to be thought about seriously is the emergecy kits and plans you talk over with your kids. That and knowing what you're going to do when a big one does hit, not if but when.
Aloha, take care!
While there is a real case for being "safe than sorry" when it comes to emergencies, it's also worth noting that these evacuations can be very costly and it seems reasonable for people who don't need to evacuate for their safety (say someone living in a 20 story high rise, or someone living on a volcano) to stay put so those who do need to get to higher ground can get there safely and quickly.
#2 - This tsunami is said to be a Positive Wave, which means that it leads with a giant wave and will not suck the harbor water first.
#3 - You dont trust their maps and plan, but you KNOW you live 2 blocks from the ocean. You dont need anything but common sense to know you could be in danger.
#4 - You are going to outrun the tsunami? REALLY?
Glad you are okay, but wish you used common and sense and I hope your post didnt encourage other to stay put too. Being safe is being smart. Sorry but this was SO frustrating to read.
Are the warning perfect in targeting their audience? No - it takes refined data, and time to process, to figure out the direction and magnitude of a tsunami. Lacking those, the 'precautionary principle' is in place. So 9 times out of 10, there will turn out to be little need for evacuation. So I suppose if Russian Roulette with 9 empty chambers is your kind of fun, just make sure that everyone knows it's your choice and you don't want anyone to put themselves in danger trying to rescue you later.
If the last warning only produced a six inch wave, will you be alive if a warning came and the wave was 30-100 ft?
Reminds me of a novel called "Rogue Wave" describing the reactions of the Hawaiian people to a Tsunami warning outlining the same views that Ms. Pennybacker spoke of, tired and irritated of warnings that when a truly horrific event occurred, HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS were killed by a wave created when a meteor crashed in the Pacific Ocean.
Those warnings are given to save lives....not to inconvenience folks. We all know the wailing and screaming that would commence when NO warnings are issued and someone dies, don't we?
http://investor.newscorp.com/sec.cfm
But I can see the writer's point. The hyperbole about the Chilean "tsunami" breeds contempt for the warnings. After Katrina and Rita, we have been subjected to overly cautious "mandatory" evacuation orders for storms that anyone with a shred of intelligence could see was going to make dangerous impact far away from us. Those in charge of issuing the warnings are operating from liability concerns rather than serious risk assessment.
Japan is closer than Chile, and this is a stronger quake, so if you stay, be ready to flee to higher ground and be sure to watch carefully around the predicted time of arrival.
I agree that often these mandatory evacuations are more from liability concerns then anything. It is up to individual to make the choice, but if you choose not to evac don't expect any help or feel you have a right to help.
Another issue with the mandatory evacs is that you can not return when you want to. Once you leave you are gone until the authorities say you can return, unless you can find a way to sneak back in.
The new rail line is beng built to facilitate more sprawl on the Ewa plain, not to alleviate traffic.
If it were to only operate in the already densely populated parts of the island, it might make a difference to traffic congestion and also encourage people to live in central city area.
Short term, mainland style (single family) sprawl development is what is feeding the rail development. Big mainland sprawl developers are the ones behind the scenes making this a go.
Oahu could be food self sufficient or very nearly so if rich farmland were preserved.
It is very sad, but not surprising, to see such short term thinking.
http://anyshinything.com/2011/03/08/goals-schmoals/