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This module is designed to prepare coastal emergency managers to handle tsunamis in their communities. It covers basic tsunami science, hazards, risks, and the tsunami warning system.
The course also provides information on public education, crafting emergency messages, and developing tsunami response plans. Additionally, there are video interviews of public officials who experienced a tsunami and customized PowerPoint presentations for major US regions.
The course objectives include explaining tsunami causes and hazards, assessing community risk, and describing effective tsunami response planning. The primary audience is coastal emergency managers, and there are no prerequisites for the 6-hour course.
FEMA IS-326: Community Tsunami Preparedness Answers
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| The Emergency Alert System (EAS) is typically activated by the National Weather Service for which tsunami alert: | Warnings |
| A tsunami is | A series of waves in which the largest one may come after the first wave |
| Strong earthquakes cause most tsunamis because they: | Displace more sea floor, which moves more water |
| If a community has tsunami warning sirens, other communication methods will not be necessary | False |
| Tsunami waves often flow inland for several minutes, resulting in flooding that continues longer than that caused by storm surges. | True |
| A Tsunami Response Plan should include training and education activities, as well as disaster management tactics. | True |
| Which Tsunami Warning Center issues tsunami alerts for the Gulf or Atlantic Coasts or in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands? | Pacific Tsunami Warning Center |
| The energy of tsunami waves is distributed throughout the water column, while that of wind waves is only in the top few hundred feet (hundred meters) of the ocean. | True |
| Tsunami forecasts may not be 100% accurate due mainly to a lack of data, especially soon after an event. This means an emergency manager should: | Expect waves that are at least the forecast height and take appropriate precautions |
| The U.S. East Coast: | Could experience tsunamis from distant sources |
| If a teletsunami is coming in about 4 hours, would an emergency manager recommend that boat owners leave the harbor? | No, boats are safer in the harbor than out in the open ocean |
| Communities that experience a damaging tsunami should expect to address problems related to post-traumatic stress disorder. | True |
| Once the first tsunami wave comes ashore, you can expect subsequent waves to be the same size or smaller. | False |
| During a disaster, people may not react immediately to a tsunami warning until they have confirmation from others that they should do so. | True |
| While the Caribbean is at risk from tsunamis due to earthquakes in the seismically active zones, submarine landslides are unlikely to occur. | False |
| An Information Statement issued by the Tsunami Warning Centers: | Is issued when an earthquake has occurred but a destructive tsunami is not expected |
| Early in a potential tsunami event, the Tsunami Warning Centers use pre-computed model runs to forecast tsunami wave heights based on hypothetical earthquakes. | True |
| On the U.S. West Coast, the largest tsunami threat is likely to be triggered by: | An earthquake in the Cascadia subduction zone |
| The cancellation of a Tsunami Warning means: | Widespread inundation is no longer expected, but the emergency manager should consider local conditions before issuing the All-Clear |
| One of the main differences between a near-field tsunami and a far-field one is: | The Tsunami Warning Centers will probably not have time to issue warnings for the first wave(s) of a near-field tsunami |
| A tsunami wave that is 2 feet (0.6 meters) is considered minor, so beaches, oceans, and harbors will be safe for the public. | False |
| The Tsunami Ready Program | recognizes communities that follow certain guidelines to improve tsunami safety and awareness |
| Earthquakes less than 7.0 magnitude cannot generate tsunamis. | False |
| Which event would NOT be a sign that a tsunami was about to occur: | Water levels rose suddenly |
| Tsunamis and wind waves differ, in part, in that the time between two tsunami waves can be many minutes or hours, while wind waves are usually only several seconds apart | True |
| Good warning messages for the public should: | Explain the possible consequences if the instructions are not followed |
| A Tsunami Warning means: | Significant inundation is expected |
| The Tsunami Warning Centers issue forecasts of wave amplitude, which is: | One-half the height measured from the crest of the wave to the trough |
| What is a far-field tsunami? | A tsunami generated by a strong earthquake in one part of an ocean basin that travels to distant locations |
| Earthquakes off the Alaskan coast cannot trigger tele tsunamis (distant-source tsunamis) because of the shape of the Gulf of Alaska. | False |
| If the Tsunami Warning Center issues a Tsunami Advisory, should the emergency manager close beaches and evacuate harbors? | Yes, because currents and waves can be dangerous |
| Tsunamis are most often caused by: | Strong earthquakes that occur under the ocean |
| The one thing not usually covered in a Tsunami Response Plan is: | Future mitigation plans, such as building code changes |
| If the water at the coast is behaving abnormally or a strong earthquake has occurred locally, the first thing an emergency manager should do is: | Call the Tsunami Warning Center to ask if a tsunami has been generated |
| In a near-field tsunami, emergency responders should assemble in the inundation zone immediately so they can direct the evacuation. | True |
| If a strong earthquake occurs, it is unnecessary to leave the beach until a tsunami is seen coming because most people can outrun the waves. | False |
| In addition to earthquakes, tsunamis can be caused by: | Submarine landslides |
| Hawaii and other areas in the Pacific have a high to very high risk of tsunamis because of the relatively large number of earthquakes and volcanoes in the area. | True |
| In the event of a near-field tsunami, it is generally recommended that the public evacuate immediately using their cars or mass transportation. | False |
| Tsunami models run at the Tsunami Warning Centers help predict wave amplitudes and when the waves might arrive at different locations. | True |
Sources
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