1. soo-NAH-mee Florida, Tsunamis, and You
The word tsunami is Japanese meaning harbor wave
Daniel Noah
Warning Coordination Meteorologist
National Weather Service Forecast Office - Ruskin, FL

2. What is a Tsunami?
A series of long waves created by a disturbance that displaces a large amount of water.
Primarily associated with earthquakes in oceanic or coastal regions.
Landslides, volcanic eruptions, nuclear explosions, and even impacts from objects from outer space (such as meteorites, asteroids, and comets)

3. Wind Waves vs. Tsunamis Wind Generated Waves
5-20 seconds between waves
ft wave length
Tsunami Waves
10 minutes to 2 hours between waves
Wave length can be greater than 300 miles

4. What Happens at the Coastline?
May appear as a rapidly rising or falling tide, a series of breaking waves, or even a bore
Strong currents and debris carried by wave add to destructive nature of this inundating flood

5. Phuket, Thailand Tsunami
December 26, 2004
Photos by German Tourist Hellmut Issels

6. Phuket, Thailand Tsunami
December 26, 2004
Photos by German Tourist Hellmut Issels

7. Phuket, Thailand Tsunami
December 26, 2004
Photos by German Tourist Hellmut Issels

8. Phuket, Thailand Tsunami
December 26, 2004
Photos by German Tourist Hellmut Issels

9. Tsunami Safety

10. Tsunami Safety All Hazards NOAA Weather Radio
Warns of natural and man made hazards
Alerts you even when you’re sleeping
New radios can be programmed just for your county

11. Tsunami Safety Rules For those on the beach
If you feel the earth shake, move immediately to higher ground, DO NOT wait for a tsunami warning to be announced. Stay away from rivers and streams that lead to the ocean if there is a tsunami.

12. Tsunami Safety Rules For those on the water
Do not return to port when a Tsunami Warning has been issued
Tsunamis can cause dangerous currents in harbors and ports
If you have time, move your vessel to deep water
Contact the harbor authority to verify conditions are safe before returning

13. Tsunami Safety Rules For those on land
Evacuate your house if you live in a hurricane storm surge zone Evacuate vertically if you do not have time to leave the surge zone, move to the highest floor or to the roof Follow the advice of local emergency management and law enforcement officials

14. For More Information

15. Causes of Tsunamis

16. Causes of Tsunamis Usually by earthquakes
Less commonly by landslides (into the water and completely below the water)
Infrequently by volcanic eruptions or explosive decompression of underwater methane deposits
Very rarely by a large meteorite impact in the ocean

17. Earthquake Threat
Blue = Mid-Ocean Ridges
Red = Subduction Zone

18. Earthquakes Tsunamis are created when: Seafloor quickly changes shape
Water is displaced
Waves are formed as the displaced water mass tries to move back
Anthony Liekens

19. Tsunami Animation

20. Tsunami Animation, 12/26/04 Earthquake 9
Tsunami Animation, 12/26/04 Earthquake 9.0 on Richter Scale near Sumatra
Over 160,000 fatalities

21. Earthquake & Volcano Threat
Earthquakes
Active Volcanoes

22. Tsunami Risk by Region 1848-1998
O�Loughlin & Lander

23. Florida’s Risk of Tsunamis

24. Tsunami Risk in Florida
Florida’s Atlantic Coast
Puerto Rico Trench
Cumbre Vieja Volcano in Canary Islands
1755 Lisbon Earthquake
Azores-Gibraltar fracture zone
Florida’s Gulf Coast and Keys
Puerto Rico Trench (minor effect as wave wraps around islands)
Large Meteorite into Gulf of Mexico

25. Puerto Rico Trench
Michael Count

26. Regional Plate Tectonics
Michael Count

27. Slope Failure in the Trench
Michael Count

28. Cause of 1918 Tsunami
Earthquake, 7.5 on Richter Scale
Michael Count

29. Tsunami Propagation
0 min min min min
Michael Count

30. Run-up Values
Michael Count

31. Tsunami Devastation
Report of large withdrawal of water exposing unseen sediment before tsunami struck the shore
Wave run-up of approximately 20 feet
116 Deaths
Water traveled 100 meters inland in low lying areas, destroying villages and buildings
Michael Count

32. Cumbre Vieja Volcano in Canary Islands
Worst case scenario
Wave height in
meters
Benfield Hazard Research Centre of the University College London

33. 1755 Lisbon Earthquake

34. Azores-Gibraltar Fracture Zone

35. Lisbon Tsunami Travel Times
Florida�s Atlantic Coast
�7-8 hour arrival time
�Estimated 7-10 foot
�Waves every 90 min
Dr. Charles Mader,

36. Tsunamis vs. Rogue Waves

37. Tsunamis vs. Rogue Waves
Rogue waves are different the Tsunamis but
the end result is similar.
Rogue Wave Characteristics
Unpredictable nature
Little is know about the formation
May be caused by regularly-spaced ocean swells that are magnified by currents or the
atmosphere

38. Daytona Beach Rogue Wave July 3, 1992 at 11:30 PM EDT
50 MPH wind gust at peak of storm
11:35 PM EDT

39. Daytona Beach Rogue Wave July 3, 1992
10 ft rise at the beach at 11:30 PM EDT
75 minor injuries
About 36 vehicles damaged
Swamped shoreline for 30 miles, worst was five miles of shoreline near Daytona Beach

40. Tampa to Naples Rogue Wave March 25, 1995
00 UTC
10 UTC

41. Tampa to Naples Rogue Wave March 25, 1995
Strong outgoing tide at the mouth of Tampa Bay before an 11 foot rise around 9 AM EST
Tide was 1 to 4 feet above normal south of Tampa Bay to Naples (124 miles of shoreline)
Carried stingrays and jellyfish on the beach causing people to flee
Wave broke about 1 mile offshore

42. How Often Can We Expect Tsunamis & Rogue Waves
One or two tsunamis each century along the east coast of the U.S.
� Only one Atlantic-wide Tsunami documented (the 1755 Lisbon earthquake)
However, Eastern U.S. has had 40 tsunamis/rogue waves in the last 400 years or an average of one coastal flood event every 10 years
Lockridge, Whiteside, and Lander

43. Tsunamis Detection & Warning

44. How Do We Detect Tsunamis
Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting on Tsunamis
DART Buoy

45. DART Buoy

46. Proposed DART Buoy Locations

47. NWS Tsunami Warning Centers
The West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center in Palmer, Alaska
Alaska south to California�
U.S. Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Coast
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Ewa Beach, Hawaii
Hawaii
A national/international warning center for tsunamis that pose a Pacific-wide threat.�
Caribbean

48. Tsunami Warning Process U.S. East Coast & Gulf of Mexico
Interim Method
The Alaska Tsunami Warning Center (ATWC) issues a Tsunami Warning if earthquake 7+ on Richter Scale on/near� a coast
NWS office in Melbourne, FL receives warning via fax and phone call from the ATWC.
NWS Melbourne disseminates warning to coastal NWS Offices via the dedicated Hurricane Hotline
Affected coastal NWS Offices issue a Coastal Flood Warning that triggers
All Hazards NOAA Weather Radios
Emergency Alert System
Statement transmitted over �weather wire� to emergency management officials and the media

49. Tsunami Warning Statistics �Tsunami Warning Center in Palmer, AK
Warnings are issued within 15 minutes of earthquake and are based solely on seismic data
The average response time was 6.8 minutes in 2003
Since 1981, 11 regional tsunami warnings have been issued by the WC/ATWC

50. How can I find out if there is a tsunami warning program in my county?

51. StormReady & TsunamiReady A National Weather Service Program to Protect Lives
Thank you!

52. What is StormReady?
A NWS program for our communities to improve communication and hazardous weather preparedness
Provides community leaders and emergency managers with guidance on how to improve warning and weather preparedness programs

53. Why Do We Need StormReady?
Nearly 90% of all Presidentially declared disasters are weather related
On average there are 500 weather related deaths each year across America
Severe weather causes near $14 Billion in property damage each year. Four hurricanes in 2004 caused $42 Billion!

54. What is TsunamiReady? A part of the NWS StormReady Program
A collaborative effort between federal, state, and local emergency management, and the public
A method to improve public safety during tsunami emergencies

55. TsunamiReady Objectives
�Create minimum standard community guidelines for adequate tsunami readiness
�Encourage consistency in educational materials and response
�Recognize communities that have adopted TsunamiReady guidelines
�Increase public awareness and understanding of the tsunami hazard

56. Thank You!