Hi All,

It appears CA wasn't ready for the Norcal Tsunami, so it's good thing it was a practice run.....Petra

Los Angeles Daily News

Pacific quake revealed gaps in state tsunami warning system
By Steve Geissinger
Staff Writer

Tuesday, June 28, 2005 - SACRAMENTO - The 7-plus magnitude earthquake that hit June 15 off Northern California revealed gaps in the tsunami-alert system intended to allow time for evacuations, state emergency officials said Tuesday.

During an investigative hearing by lawmakers, shaken county and state authorities blamed each other but vowed to swiftly and vigorously overhaul a much-lauded warning system for tsunamis.

"In some areas, errors both human and technical kept the June 14 tsunami warning from reaching residents," said state Sen. Dean Florez, D-Bakersfield, who chairs a committee that oversees emergency preparedness.

"Some counties charged the state did not do an adequate job of informing them of the tsunami threat, while state Office of Emergency Services officials responded that any communication problems were within the counties themselves," Florez said.

State OES officials testified that they have retrained staff on handling tsunamis that could generate a speeding surge of water 10 feet high or more.

Officials also plan hold a Tsunami Summit with coastal counties early next month to prepare for the next event.

In addition, state officials will hold one-day planning workshops individually with each of 15 coastal counties. The first will be with Ventura on July 12; others have yet to be scheduled.

At a June 23 meeting on tsunami risks, held by the state Seismic Safety Commission in San Francisco, Caltrans official Gerry Meis said he would seek federal permission to post warning and evacuation-route signs along California roads, like those used in Oregon and Washington.

Tens of thousands have died due to tsunamis giant waves caused by quakes on the ocean floor in Pacific disasters ranging from Crescent City in Northern California in 1964 to last year in Indonesia. Some quakes, like the one June 14, don't create tsunamis; others do.