Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Examples of Tsunami Education Efforts
One element in the committee's statement of task was to comment on the status and ade-
quacy of tsunami education efforts, based on existing national compilations or assessments.
Such compilations and assessments currently do not exist for tsunami education efforts in the
United States, nor do National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program (NTHMP) criteria for evalu-
ating the effectiveness of the information content, style, process, and dissemination of tsunami
education efforts. It is beyond the scope of this committee to develop such an inventory or
evaluative criteria, therefore a thorough assessment is not possible. Instead, in an effort to
simply demonstrate the breadth of current tsunami education efforts, the committee compiled
the following list based on received information and online searches. This list is not designed to
be exhaustive, as NTHMP plans to develop such an inventory and web-based repository in the
coming years (as noted in its 2009-2013 strategic plan). This list serves to illustrate the range of
education efforts and is organized by passive education (e.g., books, brochures), active educa-
tion (e.g., workshops, curriculum), education training, and online resources.
PASSIVE EDUCATION DESIGNED FOR AT-RISK POPULATIONS
•
Books:
Several books have been written to teach at-risk populations about tsunamis
and how to survive future events. One example is
Tsunami Survival—Lessons from Chile,
1
which uses past tsunami disasters in Chile and Japan to educate people in the United
States about tsunamis related to subduction-zone earthquakes. Another is
Tsunami!,
2
which documents past tsunami disasters in Hawaii, including irst-hand accounts from
tsunami survivors. Books designed to educate children include coloring books (e.g.,
Tommy Tsunami), a tsunami trivia activity sheet developed by NTHMP, and the
Tsunami
Warning!
topic developed by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC).
•
Brochures:
Several NTHMP members (e.g., Oregon, Washington, Puerto Rico) use
brochures to disseminate tsunami evacuation maps and preparedness information,
such as background information about tsunamis, safety tips and instructions on what
to do in case of a tsunami, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) Weather Radio (NWR) information. Brochures can be placed where people
visit, including visitor centers, hotels/motels, ferry terminals, medical ofices, libraries,
local businesses, community centers, or even utility ofices. Although they are pas-
sive educational instruments, brochures do provide a physical cue that may motivate
individuals, including tourists that may lack other avenues to learn about tsunamis.
•
Business continuity guides:
The Paciic Tsunami Museum recently published
How
to Prepare Your Business for the Next Tsunami
, which is a guidebook for businesses on
preparedness and post-disaster continuity planning.
