Transcript What Happened in Sri Lanka? And why it won’t be so bad next time.

What Happened in Sri Lanka?
And why it won’t be so bad next time
6:59 AM: Earthquake off Sumatra (most times provisional)
7:05 AM: Colombo Learns
of Earthquake (USGS equipment)
7:14 AM: Honolulu PTWC Issues Earthquake Bulletin (no tsunami mention)
7:30 AM: Tsunami Hits Sumatra
8:04 AM: Honolulu Issues Bulletin with Tsunami Warning
10,500 DEAD
8:27 AM: Tsunami Hits Kalmunai
23,000 DEAD
8:50 AM: Tsunami hits Trinco and Batticaloa
30,000+ DEAD
9:30 AM: Tsunami Hits Galle, Kalutara and more
What Can One Phone Call Do?
Yala Safari Lodge Hit
Lighthouse Hotel Hit (same chain, no warning)
Lighthouse Calls Blue Water (same chain)
No casualties at Blue Water (22 mts warning)
What Can a National Disaster Warning
System Do?
Best Case
8:04 AM: Honolulu Warning Reaches Warning Center
8:10 AM: Warning Issued to Sri Lanka
lives saved
8:30 AM: Lives Saved in Kalmunai and Batticaloa
Worst Case
23,000 DEAD
8:50 AM: Tsunami hits Trinco and Batticaloa
23,000 DEAD
9:05 AM: Warning Issued
7,000 saved
9:30 AM: ~7000 lives saved in Matara, Mulativu, etc.
What Can a Tsunami Warning System Do?
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If
If
If
If
the warning is generated quickly...
the media acts promptly...
the sirens are in place on the East Coast...
disaster awareness is high...
the media acted promptly
If the sirens were in place on the East Coast
If disaster awareness was high
7:14 AM + 10 mts: COLOMBO Issues Tsunami Warning
Almost 30,000 Lives Saved
Hotels and Beaches Cleared
What Is Being Done?
Vanguard Disaster Preparedness Centre
–A
new private-third sector foundation is
being established to make sure the lessons
of this disaster are implemented
With LIRNEasia
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Process to develop a “people’s concept paper” on a
disaster warning system already started
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Expert consultation on January 26th
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International experts (Peter Anderson et al.)
Local researchers: LIRNEasia
Subset of 100+ alumni of Asian Disaster Preparedness Center in Bangkok
Persons with expertise selected through newspaper advertisement
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Draft report up on websites by February 10th or before
– www.vanguardfoundationlanka.org
– www.lirneasia.net
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Video news conference
Finalized after comment period
● Expert readers recruited
Final Report to government by end February
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After February
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Disaster education program in schools, leveraged by electronic media
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Quizzes, activities, contests
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Leading up to Disaster Awareness Day, June 26th, 2005
What Will This Produce?
Hopefully, more Angels like Tilly
– “Last
term Mr Kearney taught us about
earthquakes and how they can cause tsunamis,”
– “I
was on the beach and the water started to go
funny. There were bubbles and the tide went out all
of a sudden.”
– “I
recognised what was happening and had a feeling
there was going to be a tsunami. I told mummy.”
In sum
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Institutions more important than technology
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Disaster prevention is core business of government
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Though technology is valuable
But too important to be left to government alone
Too many died
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But not in vain, if we succeed in building warning system and increasing
disaster awareness
For more information
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www.vanguardfoundationlanka.org
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www.lirneasia.net
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Rohan Samarajiva: [email protected]