In the last century, tsunamis have destroyed many coastal towns and killed countless people. These disasters mostly occurred in areas located in the Pacific Ring of Fire. Therefore, these regions must have excellent tsunami disaster mitigation.
Currently, only well-developed countries, such as Japan, have excellent tsunami mitigation. Meanwhile, many small or developing countries in the Asia Pacific only have basic mitigation technologies and strategies. Therefore, they must improve their mitigation plans to minimize the impact of this killer wave.
Tsunami Disaster Mitigation Strategies
Tsunamis occur because of vertical displacement of tectonic plates under the sea or ocean. This hazard may also arise after underwater volcanic eruptions and landslides. The waves of tsunamis can reach 30 meters high and destroy coastal areas.
However, regions with high tsunami risks can lower the fatalities of this natural hazard by creating reliable disaster mitigation. An ideal tsunami mitigation program must have the following strategies.
Early Warning Systems
Early warning systems are integral parts of mitigating tsunami risks. A country must have two types of early warning systems. One of them is for notifying authorities about data and predictions on earthquakes and tsunamis. Therefore, they can apply an ideal tsunami mitigation plan.
Meanwhile, the other is a public warning system for alerting residents. This early warning system must be able to disseminate alerts efficiently and effectively. Hence, residents have more time to save their lives.
An excellent tsunami warning system comprises various technologies. They are seismic sensors, tools to predict tsunami heights and arrival times, and several communication channels.
Many developed countries combine TV broadcasts, radio stations, sirens, and other channels to distribute tsunami warnings. The system works automatically. Therefore, after the sensor gains tsunami data, the system will involuntarily disseminate alerts via those channels.
They choose these communication channels to ensure the warnings reach as many people as possible. Therefore, the loss of lives caused by tsunamis can be minimized.
Protective Structures
Another strategy in tsunami disaster mitigation is constructing protective structures. These structures can protect people and constructions on the shoreline.
Consequently, there will be minimum loss of lives and properties during this disaster. Below are examples of protective structures in tsunami mitigation strategies.
Seawalls
Seawalls are strong walls built along the coastline. The height of those walls can reach over 5 m. In addition, their length is more than 1000 m.
These walls are also strong. They remain intact even after a tall tsunami strikes them. They serve well in preventing tsunamis from reaching the shoreline or reducing the force of these waves.
Therefore, people living behind these walls will have a better chance of surviving during a tsunami. Many countries have used seawalls for several decades. For example, Japan built seawalls in Taro in 1958 and Maldives built them in Male Island in 1992.
Vertical Evacuation Structures
Low-lying coastal areas are more likely to suffer from the impact of tsunamis. People living in these regions typically have difficulty accessing higher areas to escape from the killer waves.
However, authorities can mitigate this disaster risk by constructing vertical evacuation structures. These constructions allow residents to evacuate themselves during a tsunami.
Japan is one of the few countries with these structures. It built tsunami-evacuation structures in several regions, such as Sendai and Kesennuma Port. These structures are typically 5 m above the ground.
Evacuation Plans
Tsunami mitigation will not be ideal without evacuation plans. Therefore, authorities must create evacuation maps to inform residents about evacuation routes. They also need to make assembly places and signs to help residents reach those places.
Public Education
A tsunami mitigation plan will not be successful without public awareness or community involvement in mitigating this disaster. Consequently, it is essential to educate the public about tsunamis and what to do during these extreme events.
Moreover, authorities must train and drill people in tsunami disaster response. Schools of all levels also need to teach about this topic so that everyone knows what to do when they get tsunami warning messages or hear tsunami warning sirens.
The Cell Broadcast: An Effective Way to Improve Tsunami Mitigation
An efficient tsunami warning system plays an essential role in mitigating tsunamis. Therefore, upgrading the early warning system is the first step to improving a country’s tsunami mitigation strategies.
One of the most effective ways to improve this system and the mitigation strategy is to add cell broadcasting. Alerting residents using this communication channel is efficient and effective. A cell broadcast alert can reach millions of people in the affected regions within seconds.
Therefore, those people can leave the shoreline before the wave hits the area. Consequently, there will be minimum victims of this disaster.
A country must have various strategies to have successful tsunami disaster mitigation. One of these strategies is utilizing cell broadcast alerts in the tsunami early warning system. To disseminate cell broadcast alerts, the government can purchase cell broadcast machines on smsbroadcaster.com.
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