Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
part of its mitigation efforts it has issued Guidelines for Design of Structures for Vertical Evacua-
tion from Tsunamis (Federal Emergency Management Agency, 2008). FEMA becomes the lead
federal agency in managing the emergency response once a tsunami has caused damage to
U.S. coastlines.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) used to be a partner of the NTHMP, but as its in-
volvement decreased the decision was made in 2009 to remove it from the NTHMP. Its primary
function is to provide research funding and to partner with other federal agencies in research
and development. NSF provides funding for the GSN. NSF has also been actively involved with
investments regarding tsunami research infrastructure, such as the Network for Earthquake
and Engineering Simulation (NEES), Earthquake Engineering and Research Centers (EERCs), and
the Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC) (Bement, 2005). Because it is not part of the
NTHMP and its funding decisions are primarily driven by the demand in the research commu-
nity, this report does not include an explicit discussion of NSF's role but rather discusses the role
of the broader research community in the nation's tsunami efforts.
NOAA has been carrying most of the responsibility and obtains most of the funding to
provide tsunami warnings, maintain observing networks (including seismic networks not
funded by the USGS in Alaska and Hawaii), manage and archive data, and conduct research
(further discussed in the next section).
The coastal states, U.S. territories, and commonwealths contribute their own initiatives and
resources to the nation's preparedness and education efforts; these vary in extent and ap-
proach from state to state. In particular, states are responsible for providing communities with
inundation maps that allow municipalities to produce evacuation maps and guidance, and
to educate the public about the hazard and appropriate responses. Local oficials in turn are
responsible for transmitting tsunami alerts throughout their respective jurisdictions, issuing
evacuation orders, managing evacuations, and declaring all-clears.
NOAA's Tsunami Program
In 2006, the Tsunami Warning and Education Act (P.L. 109-424) charged NOAA with address-
ing the nation's priorities in tsunami detection, warning, and mitigation. NOAA's Tsunami
Program assumed the responsibilities to plan and execute NOAA's tsunami efforts, primarily
the program's budget, strategic plan, and the coordination of activities among its NOAA orga-
nizational components and external partners, including the NTHMP. NOAA's Tsunami Program
advocates an end-to-end TWS, which includes detection, warnings and forecasts, message dis-
semination, outreach and education, and research.
NOAA's Tsunami Program is supported by ive line ofices (Table 1.1): NWS; the Ofice of
Marine and Aviation Ofices (OMAO); the National Ocean Service (NOS); Oceanic and Atmo-
spheric Research (OAR); and the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service
(NESDIS). The NWS, as the administrator for NOAA's Tsunami Program, is primarily responsible
for helping community leaders and emergency managers in strengthening their local tsunami
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