You have to love the government -- "always there to help" when you need it, we're told.
Read this and then see what you think.
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
In Hawaii, the Warning Issue Has a New Twist: Silence during a Non-Tsunami Event
The 6.7 and 6.0 earthquakes near the Big Island of Hawaii on Octdober 15, 2006 resulted in an unusual response by the Hawaii Civil Defense crew regarding a potential tsunami threat.
Although they knew a tsunami was not suspected within minutes of the first quake, they decided not to tell the public there was no tsunami. Rather than relieve fears during the island-wide power blackout that dragged on forever on Oahu, they chose to reveal nothing.
One official was reported in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin as saying people might catch only the end of the emergency alert and misconstrue it to be a confirmation of a tsunami.
That's bizarre. On the chance that some people might get the wrong idea, don't tell anybody anything.
Next time, try a looped tape that says, "There is no tsunami... There is no tsunami... There is no tsunami........"
The Tsunami Lessons author has started a new blog, again with the best of intentions, called Citizens Helping Officials Respond to Emergencies (CHORE). Too many officials' comments since the Hawaii earthquakes make it clear average citizens have a role to play in improving emergency communications here.
Although they knew a tsunami was not suspected within minutes of the first quake, they decided not to tell the public there was no tsunami. Rather than relieve fears during the island-wide power blackout that dragged on forever on Oahu, they chose to reveal nothing.
One official was reported in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin as saying people might catch only the end of the emergency alert and misconstrue it to be a confirmation of a tsunami.
That's bizarre. On the chance that some people might get the wrong idea, don't tell anybody anything.
Next time, try a looped tape that says, "There is no tsunami... There is no tsunami... There is no tsunami........"
The Tsunami Lessons author has started a new blog, again with the best of intentions, called Citizens Helping Officials Respond to Emergencies (CHORE). Too many officials' comments since the Hawaii earthquakes make it clear average citizens have a role to play in improving emergency communications here.
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