On TVNZ’s Breakfast, the Civil Defence spokesperson was asked what we should do.
“Er, I guess you need to turn on your radios and be ready to evacuate," the poor guy stammered. If you are going to be a spokesperson, please have a way with words.
I live a block away from the beach. A tsunami is possible in my area. My phone book even has a helpful section about what to do if one lives “in a zone at risk":
Is that a tsunami? Quick, run for higher ground!
Some people in the village have told me they are worried about what to do in a tsunami. Ironically, these same people are not prepared for an earthquake.
An earthquake is extremely likely in the village. Since, you know, we live on a FAULT LINE. A tsunami is just a little more likely than, say, a snowstorm in Miami.
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I made the mistake of posting a status update about the tsunami on Facebook:
The tsunami is unlikely to affect my area. I'm still ready to evacuate. Because I'm neurotic.Most of the comments that I received were variations of “Thinking of you” and “Keep safe”. I am concerned that my friends on Facebook don’t “get” my sense of humour.
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As usual, the tsunami in NZ turned out to be Much Ado About Nothing. The first wave to hit NZ was measured at about 40 cm (15 inches).
Edited to add: You can help the victims of the earthquake/tsunami in Samoa by making a donation to the NZ Red Cross.