The National Weather Service joins Hawaii State Civil Defense, the Pacific Tsunami Museum, and others to announce a month of activities in Hawaii that are designed to remind the public about the potential risk of tsunamis.
Similar programs are underway in Washington, Oregon and California.
But at the same time, because it was so long ago, we may have forgotten or may never have learned what are the right things to do to protect ourselves and our families. Hawaii isn't the only state to be threatened by the great sea waves that are usually caused by underwater earthquakes and landslides. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, parent agency of the National Weather Service, is one of several federal and state agencies, including Hawaii State Civil Defense, that are involved in a national tsunami mitigation program. We are sharing Hawaii's experiences with experts in those states to produce inundation and evacuation maps and help educate the public. In 1948 the predecessor of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center was established.