Monthly column

Posted on February 11, 2005 / 3 Comments

I have agreed to write a column on Choices for Lanka Business Online, starting this month. The first column is up, entitled “Surviving tsunamis: What we can learn from Hawai’i.” Any suggestions, comments, criticisms will be welcome.

BTW, a tentative statement in my column (that was written on my flight back from Hawai’i Jan 20-22) has been confirmed: the undersea earthquake responsible for the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami is now the second largest recorded earthquake at 9.3 on the Richter scale.

3 Comments

Sylvia Kuus
February 13, 2005, 8:18 am
This article mentions its high false alarm rate (estimated at 75 percent). An unnecessary evacuation in Hawaii in 1994 cost an estimated $30 million in business disruptions and other costs. Accuracy is an important element.

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=494693
Donald Gaminitillake
February 14, 2005, 11:03 am
Please visit the following site

http://www.rotarycolombocentral.org/tsunami%20wars/tsunamiwars.htm

written By Dr Rashmin Gunesekera
rohan
February 14, 2005, 11:03 am
Dr Gunasekeras article deals with the detection and monitoring of the hazard. It is an important topic that will hopefully be addressed by the Indian Ocean tsunami warning system that was agreed upon at the recent meeting in Phuket.

Our focus is on a national multi-hazard warning system that would ensure that the information generated by the kinds of systems discussed by Dr Gunasekera will indeed reach the public and emergency managers early enough in order for actions to be taken to save lives. Our efforts are complementary and we wish him all the best.