Awareness of Tsunamis

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The word tsunami was never part of my vocabulary growing up. I suspect the same is true for you if you are of a certain age.  In December of 2004 all this changed.  On that day a tsunami started in the Indian Ocean from a massive earthquake killing an estimated 227,000 people in 14 countries, with Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand hardest-hit.   This event was a wakeup call for most of us locally but also as a region. The international community was jolted into action.  Out of this tragedy brought about a sense of awareness of tsunamis.   According to the United Nations by the year 2030, an estimated 50 per cent of the world's population will live in coastal areas exposed to flooding, storms and tsunamis.  Jamaica sits in an active earthquake zone and on June 7, 1692 an earthquake at Port Royal, Jamaica caused a landslide within the harbour generating a Tsunami which destroyed 90% of the buildings in the City of Port Royal. Portions of the city slipped into the sea. Less than three hundred years later Kingston, Jamaica was devastated by an earthquake. On January, 14, 1907 an earthquake ruined most of Kingston, Jamaica and damaged much of the surrounding area including a suspension bridge at Port Maria. Buff Bay was destroyed and approximately 1,000 persons perished. In 1780, in Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland, an earthquake occurred during a hurricane, and the sea rose to a height of three metres from the beach and swept away a number of houses. Ten people were killed by the wave and about 300 more by the storm. At least one community, Old Harbour Bay in St. Catherine has an evacuation siren to alert residents of a tsunami.  World Tsunami Awareness Day has been observed across the world since 2015. The day is used to spread awareness among people in matters related to the dangers of tsunami. It stresses on the importance of early warning systems in order to mitigate damage from the often devastating natural hazard. Tsunamis are giant waves caused by earthquakes or volcanic eruptions under the sea. Out in the depths of the ocean, tsunami waves do not dramatically increase in height. But as the waves travel inland, they build up to higher and higher heights as the depth of the ocean decreases. The speed of tsunami waves depends on ocean depth rather than the distance from the source of the wave. Tsunami waves may travel as fast as jet planes over deep waters, only slowing down when reaching shallow waters. While tsunamis are often referred to as tidal waves, this name is discouraged by oceanographers because tides have little to do with these giant waves. It is extremely important for all communities especially those on the coast to take heed and developed a national programme to deal with the aftermath of a tsunami since nothing can be done to prevent one.  In order to secure our populations about the dangers of a tsunami we must first become knowledgeable about this natural disaster. A number of measures can be implemented to reduce the negative impact of a tsunami. By investing in resilient infrastructure, early warning systems, and education is critical to saving people and protecting their assets against tsunami risk in the future.  In the words of UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, risk reduction will be crucial to our efforts to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals. On World Tsunami Awareness Day, I encourage governments, local authorities and the construction industry to pursue risk-informed development and invest in resilience."

Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues.
 @WayneCamo

#TsunamiDay  #BuildtoLast  #PortRoyal  #Jamaica
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