Enough time (20-ish years) and government/junta chaos has passed for this question to be relevant.
We have now been told there is NO DANGER for Washington state from this earthquake in Alaska. Scientists had to wait to examine the wave heights arriving at DART tsunami buoys -- and those sensors now indicate there is NO DANGER for our coastline. #wawx
And if the earthquake doesn't scare them, the volcano that triggers will. And if they're still not prepared, there's also the tsunami.
dylan604•7h ago
* This will be the final U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center message issued for this event.
I'm in danger of being "Warning-ed" out. Watches are different and will always get my attention. Especially after the recent overreaction to sending out way more flood warnings even when it is not any where near me is just getting me to not bother with them.
I know this is the danger the forecasters face. I can appreciate how they clearly stated the issue was now over in a very quick time though.
op00to•7h ago
dylan604•7h ago
It's the knee jerk reaction to now over-notifying flood warnings in Texas that has me numb now. The entire Texas government should be embarrassed by the whole thing, but I know they are not which makes me even more embarrassed for them. So to look like they are doing something they've overreacted and now made it annoying instead of actually useful.
So, I guess if I had my druthers, I'd replace the Texas government with competent people. Instead, maybe for the better, I'm not in charge and we have gerrymandered elections. I'm avoiding using the word rigged elections to avoid getting lumped in with the 2020 crowd, but when you draw the districts in such a way, what else do you call it?
op00to•6h ago
They do the same thing with Amber Alerts in my area. It got to a point where it was multiple times a week, it’s common sense to tune it out or turn ‘em off.
dylan604•5h ago
It's also the fact that the moron's past decisions specifically about this have come to light where they decided to spend money elsewhere. That never looks good. So unless that money cured cancer or something in that realm, it won't be any less horrible than if it was used to pay for upgrading government offices.
porkloin•7h ago
In the last few years there has been a significant uptick in the number of alerts that trigger sirens, orders to evacuate to higher ground, etc. Talking to people back home, it seems like they're "warning-ed out" as you say and are beginning to tune it out.
A 7.3 magnitude quake absolutely can trigger a tsunami big enough to threaten your life, so the NTWC is 100% doing the right thing. I also agree that they need to be careful about perception, and careful about stoking panic. A few years ago, a pedestrian in my home town was struck and killed by a car driving to higher ground during a tsunami warning. There wasn't any tsunami activity that day, but the pedestrian is still dead.
It's impossible to completely attribute the death to the state of alarm/evacuation, but it's not hard to see how a driver and a pedestrian in that situation might be less than completely attentive due to the loud sirens, increased traffic to unusual areas, etc.
chrbr•6h ago
https://www.weather.gov/safety/tsunami-alerts
senkora•6h ago
cj•5h ago
sejje•5h ago
Warning, tornadoes might occur.
Watch out, we saw a tornado!
dylan604•5h ago
We're watching out for a tornado because the conditions are right for them.
You're now warned a tornado is coming after it is confirmed.
arcfour•2h ago
You are warning others that something dangerous has happened, because you have seen it. There is an actual danger.
This has always been intuitive for me (once it was first explained at least), so I'm surprised it isn't for others.
dylan604•5h ago
So more than considering noun/verb, the subject is key. You're watching the storm for a tornado. You're not watching the tornado.
misswaterfairy•55m ago
https://www.australianwarningsystem.com.au/
Below are the three alert levels for all hazards in Australia, including tsunami:
- Advice: An incident has started. There is no immediate danger. Stay up to date in case the situation changes.
- Watch and Act: There is a heightened level of threat. Conditions are changing and you need to start taking action now to protect you and your family.
- Emergency Warning: You may be in danger and need to take action immediately. Any delay now puts your life at risk.
The scale slides up and down, but can immediately be set to Emergency Warning if the situation demands it.
They can also be further defined with 'Calls to Action': - 'Monitor conditions' - 'Prepare now' - 'Seek shelter immediately' - 'Move to higher ground immediately'
Siren systems aren't widespread across the country, though systems are popping up in some flood-prone parts of Queensland. Sirens are typically activated when the 'Emergency Warning' alert level is reached.