Tsunami testing takes place around the Pacific

Tests carried out to allow warnings to be recognised

Travel Insurance News - 17/05/2006

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Around 30 countries that surround the Pacific Ocean have tested a system to warn of impending tsunamis. The first test has been carried out at the Tsunami Warning Centre Hawaii. The test was based around an earthquake occuring near the coast of Chile sending a tsunami racing across the eastern Pacific. This was followed by a second north of the Philippines which has tested the response in the western Pacific.

The experiment, which is to test the how well the message is relayed through local emergency systems, was seen as a success although some parts of Thailand experienced communication delays. The test began with a beeping noise sounded throughout the warning the warning centre of Hawaii's Ewa Beach. The first alerts were sent out to the 30 participating countries within minutes. During the second part of the test real evacuations were carried out in Thailand, Malaysia, American Samoa and the Philippines. Further tests will be carried out and any problems with communications and evacuations will be ironed out and could be the model for testing in the Indian Ocean in future

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