Pacific Tsunami Warning Center

[zff]

Yesterday's tsunami warning made me curious about something. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center is located here. According to their own map, it looks like they're in an evacuation zone. If they are not in an evacuation zone, their building can't be more than a few feet outside the boundary. If you checked it out in Google Street View, you'd see that the entire area is very flat and can't be more than a few feet above sea level.

Doesn't that make this building vulnerable to a tsunami? It looks like a sturdy little building, but it doesn't look indestructable. It certainly looks like a reasonably powerful tsunami could destroy it or at least cause it to stop functioning. This building is the international headquarters for what I imagine is the largest tsunami warning system in the world, and it seems to have been positioned precariously close to the shore. The NOAA's only other tsunami warning center is over a mile from the nearest body of water and nowhere near the ocean.

Am I the only one who finds this odd? Does anyone here know why they put the PTWC there?

[Kaonohi]

Re: Pacific Tsunami Warning Center

It's true, the center IS inside an inundation zone. They said as much on TV yesterday.

I don't know why it's located there, but I suspect it has something to do with allotment of resources by government entities.
If you want good planning, keep government bureaucrats out of it.

k

[Walkoff Balk]

Re: Pacific Tsunami Warning Center

Was it worse planning than building the UH softball field where I think people couldn't see them play from the stands?

[Random]

Re: Pacific Tsunami Warning Center

If you want good planning, keep government bureaucrats out of it.

Specifically GAO.

[Nords]

Re: Pacific Tsunami Warning Center

If you checked it out in Google Street View, you'd see that the entire area is very flat and can't be more than a few feet above sea level.
Doesn't that make this building vulnerable to a tsunami?
Am I the only one who finds this odd? Does anyone here know why they put the PTWC there?

Yeah, but I bet they got an unbelievable deal on the real estate and don't have to pay for flood insurance.

You'd think that they'd update the inundation zone maps to show themselves just on the other side of the line. After all, they're making the rules.

I like the idea of a tsunami warning center being in the inundation zone. It motivates them with a little skin in the game, instead of pontificating from an ivory tower. And once the tsunami arrives, their warning mission is completed anyway.

[Bobinator]

Re: Pacific Tsunami Warning Center

Besides, each staff member is issued a pair of galoshes, a rubber tube, and a homing device.

[Walkoff Balk]

Re: Pacific Tsunami Warning Center

I like the idea of a tsunami warning center being in the inundation zone. It motivates them with a little skin in the game, instead of pontificating from an ivory tower. And once the tsunami arrives, their warning mission is completed anyway.

Who you goin' to call?

[Frankie's Market]

Re: Pacific Tsunami Warning Center

I like the idea of a tsunami warning center being in the inundation zone. It motivates them with a little skin in the game, instead of pontificating from an ivory tower. And once the tsunami arrives, their warning mission is completed anyway.

If the warning center is wiped out, who's going to give the all-clear signal?

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Pacific Tsunami Warning Center

If the warning center is wiped out, who's going to give the all-clear signal?

Us on HT.

[Mililani]

Re: Pacific Tsunami Warning Center

Too funny! I know that UH (in Hilo) sets up computer labs, links, etc for events such as these.
But, why they don't just re-locate is beyond me.

[joshuatree]

Re: Pacific Tsunami Warning Center

Besides, each staff member is issued a pair of galoshes, a rubber tube, and a homing device.

Not a violin to play as the water seeps in?

Wonder if the building has a helipad or open space for the last min evac via chopper?

[helen]

Re: Pacific Tsunami Warning Center

Looking at the map referenced in the base note it seems that anyone in the center can just move about 100 to 200 feet inland. But I don't know if the land slopes up in that area.

Came across this thread today that discuss the moving of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center and other NOAA offices to Ford Island.

[Bobinator]

Re: Pacific Tsunami Warning Center

If the warning center is wiped out, who's going to give the all-clear signal?

Probably from the idiots that just came in from surfing.

[Nords]

Re: Pacific Tsunami Warning Center

But, why they don't just re-locate is beyond me.

Lack of funding.

[zff]

Re: Pacific Tsunami Warning Center

Looking at the map referenced in the base note it seems that anyone in the center can just move about 100 to 200 feet inland. But I don't know if the land slopes up in that area.

If it does, it's not by much. Check out the area in Google Street View.



I've been told that during the tsunami coverage on Saturday, they said the inundation zone stops at the flagpole in front of the building, so the conclusion we're supposed to draw, I guess, is that the PTWS building itself is safe. Are they frickin' serious? Look at the site in Google Street View. It's a few feet of level land between the flagpole and the building.