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What should I do if facing a tsunami?

Luckily I've never had to face up to one, but if I did, I'm not quite sure what I should do. Should I try to dive through the wave, or scarper as fast as possible inland and uphill, or cling to the tops of the nearest palm tree? What do you reckon?

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Submitted by Jheni Osman

What should I do if facing a tsunami?

Tue, 2010-08-31 13:41
nom nom de plume

If you can see the wave approaching, it's too late already. You may as well sit back & enjoy the show. It would be a spectacular farewell to the world, to say the least!

Tsunami Danger

Thu, 2010-08-26 16:46
lolrules

Probably you should get in a solid building, very soon. Somewhere which is unlike to be knocked over and safe from large debris in the wave. But make sure water can get out, to save you from surviving a tsunami but drowning in your own home.

it depends on the dimensions of the tsunami

Thu, 2010-08-26 20:09
xgeomax

If the earthquake is powerful enough to create a powerful wave of tsunami it has a tremendous energy that can devastate everything it will meet. In that case the better solutions curiously come from two of our ancestors. The elefant who feel immediately the need to reach the higher place of the land: it means that we should follow our animal instinct. But if we are on the sea... some pearl searchers in Indonesia know that it is better not to reach the beach rather than go in the opposite direction, where the sea is deeper: the more the tsunami reaches the beach the more it increases its height because of the lack of space between the surface of the see and the botton of the beach.

Variables

Mon, 2010-08-23 12:05
Shadowwolf

What you should do is all a matter of variables, where you currently are, severity of the tsunami, length of warning, higher ground and travel options available amongst others. I'd imagine that if at all possible, the best option is away from the coast and up as far as one can make it. Clinging to the top of a palm tree seems out, if you have enough time to climb a palm tree then you probably have enough time to run further inland.

Wave bye bye

Thu, 2010-08-12 19:01
nemisis

Only choice as i see it would be to, seek higher ground the higher the better as soon as you could. That’s always assuming that you know the wave is coming. There are early warning system for this sort of phenomenon tsunami buoy’s, under sea quakes can be monitored and from there strength you could possibly extrapolate the possibility of a tsunami hitting an area and probable wave height and speed, but depending on where it was going to hit would depend on what measures could be taken. Ongoing research into this I assume is being done.

Take a ride

Tue, 2010-08-10 17:46
cybernetic duck

Grab a surfboard and have some fun!

Run away.

Mon, 2010-08-09 16:14
montyworm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geHLdg_VNww&feature=av2n

Run to the hills - or if you haven't got any Iron Maiden handy, seek higher ground.