The Tsunami that Wasn't

Yes, there was no tsunami. After Chile's horrible 8.8 earthquake, scientists at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii braced everyone for a possible tsunami and recommended that the coast be cleared. And the tsunami never came. Well actually, it did produce 4-foot waves on the beach of Hawaii, which is minor. The PTWC confirmed that it was a non-event, but defended its warning based on devastating tsunamis in the past. There are 300 early warning sensors in various places around the Pacific, but they do not say what the sensors indicated, if they indicated anything. By my way of thinking, the PTWC just made itself redundant. It basically stated that it will announce tsunami warnings just in case a tsunami does appear. So if there is an earthquake in the Pacific, there will be a warning. Well listen, how about you pay me the $10 million or whatever they are getting from the government and I'll issue the tsunami warning. For every earthquake, I'll issue a warning. Heck, I'll even do it fo $5 million. This is what happens when politics and lawyers take over. No one wants to be caught with their pants down. It's cover-your-ass, just in case. What the scientifc data says is less important. I could respect this warning if they said the sensors indicated that the there might be a tsunami. I'd even be happy with them saying that the indicators show that nothing is happening, but caution should still be taken in case they are wrong. It's simple, you state the science and then give your interpretation of it. But no, lets put out evacuation warnings just in case. That's nuts. AP, Honolulu (Feb 28, 2010) - The warning was ominous, its predictions dire: Oceanographers issued a bulletin telling Hawaii and other Pacific islands that a killer wave was heading their way with terrifying force and that "urgent action should be taken to protect lives and property." But the devastating tidal surge predicted after Chile's magnitude 8.8-earthquake for areas far from the epicenter never materialized. And by Sunday, authorities had lifted the warning after waves half the predicted size tickled the shores of Hawaii and tourists once again jammed beaches and restaurants. Scientists acknowledged they overstated the threat but defended their actions, saying they took the proper steps and learned the lessons of the 2004 Indonesian tsunami that killed thousands of people who didn't get enough warning. "It's a key point to remember that we cannot end the warnings. Failure to warn is not an option for us," said Dai Lin Wang, an oceanographer at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii. "We cannot have a situation that we thought was no problem and then it's devastating. That just cannot happen." ... Read the full story here... I'm also not limiting this to just the PTWC. Doesn't it make for great headlines when you talk about a huge tsunami headed for Hawaii. Disaster makes for great reading.  The media has it's own hand in spreading the warnings. You know, I'm thinking about it and I could probably manage to put out some decent tsunami warnings for $3 million if I try really hard. Bil An Outraged Dad