[EAS] Quake and Tsunami Warnings

[Adrienne Abbott]

I'm getting questions this morning about the use of the warning systems in
Japan and the other areas affected by the quake and tsunami. Were the
warning systems used in Japan and other countries successfully deployed to
the citizenry? Were the warnings effective? Did they save lives? How were
the warnings issued? Did it make a difference that the quake and tsunami
occurred during the day on that side of the world? 

 

What about our warning systems here-we have reports that EAS activations
were issued and I know California's EDIS was used to issue warnings and
information. Did these messages get to the proper agencies, officials,
media, and the public? How was the information sent out in Alaska,
Washington State and Oregon? Were Emergency Managers able to issue warnings
through broadcast as well as other media? Do officials think all the "live
code" testing of the tsunami network made a difference? Did the EAS
activations go through on all the broadcast stations as planned? Is anyone
going to collect information on the EAS activations and review that data?
Does this event tell us anything about the use of CAP? Are we headed in the
right direction? Is there anything we can learn from this event, especially
in light of the upcoming Part 11 rewrite?

 

Even here in the High Desert, our State Emergency Operations Center
partially geared up to provide support for our neighbors over the "hill" in
California. What was the impact/reaction from other, non-coastal states?

 

Adrienne