Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
school geography class in Surrey, England, and quickly realized everyone was in danger. She convinced
her parents that everyone needed to evacuate, who then alerted other tourists and hotel staff, and
people quickly evacuated. The waves started to lood the area a few minutes later, but no one on the
beach was killed or seriously injured (The Daily Telegraph, 2005).
School and community education saves lives in American Samoa during the September 2009 tsunami:
The tsunami of September 29, 2009, took 34 lives in American Samoa but could have taken far
more in the absence of tsunami education. September had been emergency preparedness month
and tsunami education efforts, supported by the TsunamiReady program, included videos of the 2004
Indian Ocean tsunami and school tsunami evacuation practices. Long-term education efforts of the
American Samoa Department of Homeland Security, in collaboration with Department of Public Works
and National Weather Service Pago Pago, included school evacuation plans and awareness campaigns
for agencies, schools, and businesses (Laura Kong, International Tsunami Information Center,
written
communication). After the initial earthquake ended, schools and community members knew to evacu-
ate, and many did (Laura Kong, International Tsunami Information Center,
written communication). In
the community of Amenave, the mayor credited an earlier workshop for village mayors on tsunami
hazards for his ability to recognize and then personally warn with a bullhorn his constituents of the
potential for a tsunami after the earthquake (Earthquake Engineering Research Institute, 2010).
Signage and other education products save lives in Chile during the February 2010 tsunami:
Initial observations of post-tsunami survey teams suggest tsunami-savvy residents knew to use
the parent earthquake as a natural warning to run to high ground. Several towns had posted tsunami
hazard and/or evacuation-zone signage, some communities had practiced drills, and others had held
preparedness workshops. Some survivors cite their memory of the Valdivia earthquake in 1960, while
others cited various topics, television, documentaries, and other media information as the source of
their awareness (Lori Dengler, Humboldt State University, written communication).
channels with consistent information regarding what recipients need to know and about
actions that they should take (Mileti and Fitzpatrick, 1992; Linda Bourque, UCLA, personal
communication).
Physical and social cues
.
Observing cues—when consistent with the verbal and written informa-
tion that is being disseminated—can reinforce learning. Physical cues that reinforce knowledge
include tsunami evacuation route signage and NTHMP-related household products (e.g., coffee
mugs, refrigerator magnets); and social cues include preparedness drills and community work-
shops (Wood et al., 2002; Connor, 2005; Alexandra et al., 2009).
