DM :- Tsunami - Do’s & Don’ts

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Chapter : Disaster Management

Tsunami : Do’s & Don’ts

• You should find out if your home, school, workplace, or other frequently visited locations are in tsunami hazard areas along sea-shore.
• Know the height of your street above sea level and the distance of your street from the coast or other high-risk waters. (Local administration may put sign boards).
• Plan evacuation routes from your home, school, workplace, or any other place you could be where tsunamis present a risk.
• If your children's school is in an identified inundation zone, find out what the school evacuation plan is.
• Practice your evacuation routes.
• Use a Weather Radio or stay tuned to a local radio or television station to keep informed of local watches and warnings.
• Talk to your insurance agent. Homeowners' policies may not cover flooding from a tsunami. Ask the Insurance Agent about the benefits from Multi-Hazard Insurance Schemes.
• Discuss tsunamis with your family. Everyone should know what to do in a tsunami situation. Discussing tsunamis ahead of time will help reduce fear and save precious time in an emergency. Review flood safety and preparedness measures with your family. 

If you are in an area at risk from tsunamis

• You should find out if your home, school, workplace, or other frequently visited locations are in tsunami hazard areas.
• Know the height of your street above sea level and the distance of your street from the coast or other high-risk waters. (Local administration may put sign boards). Also find out the height above sea level and the distance from the coast of outbuildings that house animals, as well as pastures or corrals.
• Plan evacuation routes from your home, school, workplace, or any other place you could be where tsunamis present a risk. If possible, pick areas (30 meters) above sea level or go as far as 3 kilometres inland, away from the coastline. If you cannot get this high or far, go as high or far as you can. Every meter inland or upward may make a difference. You should be able to reach your safe location on foot within 15 minutes. After a disaster, roads may become blocked or unusable. Be prepared to evacuate by foot if necessary. Footpaths normally lead uphill and inland, while many roads parallel coastlines. Follow posted tsunami evacuation routes; these will lead to safety. Local emergency management officials can advise you on the best route to safety and likely shelter locations.
• If your children's school is in an identified inundation zone, find out what the school evacuation plan is. Find out if the plan requires you to pick your children up from school or from another location. Telephone lines during a tsunami watch or warning may be overloaded and routes to and from schools may be jammed.
• Practice your evacuation routes. Familiarity may save your life. Be able to follow your escape route at night and during inclement weather. Practicing your plan makes the appropriate response more of a reaction, requiring less thinking during an actual emergency situation.
• Use a Weather Radio or stay tuned to a local radio or television station to keep informed of local watches and warnings.
• Talk to your insurance agent. Homeowners' policies may not cover flooding from a tsunami. Ask the Insurance Agent about the benefits from Multi-Hazard Insurance Schemes.
• • Discuss tsunamis with your family. Everyone should know what to do in a tsunami situation. Discussing tsunamis ahead of time will help reduce fear and save precious time in an emergency. Review flood safety and preparedness measures with your family. 

If you are visiting an area at risk from tsunamis

• Check with the hotel or campground operators for tsunami evacuation information and find out what the warning system is for tsunamis. It is important to know designated escape routes before a warning is issued.
• One of the early warning signals of a tsunami is that the sea water recedes several metres, exposing fish on shallow waters or on the beaches. If you see the sea water receding, you must immediately leave the beach and go to higher ground far away from the beach.
• Protect Your Property
• You should avoid building or living in buildings within 200 meters of the high tide coastline.
• These areas are more likely to experience damage from tsunamis, strong winds, or coastal storms.
• Make a list of items to bring inside in the event of a tsunami.
• A list will help you remember anything that can be swept away by tsunami water.
• Elevate coastal homes.
• Most tsunami waves are less than 3 meters. Elevating your house will help reduce damage to your property from most tsunamis.
• Take precautions to prevent flooding.
• Have an engineer check your home and advise about ways to make it more resistant to tsunami water.
• There may be ways to divert waves away from your property. Improperly built walls could make your situation worse. Consult with a professional for advice.
• Ensure that any outbuildings, pastures, or corrals are protected in the same way as your home. When installing or changing fence lines, consider placing them in such a way that your animals are able to move to higher ground in the event of a tsunami.