OFFICIALS TEST ALASKA TSUNAMI WARNING SYSTEM FOR THE FIRST TIME
"Live" Warnings Part of Tsunami Awareness Week

March 24, 2005 � The NOAA National Weather Service and Alaska's Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, in cooperation with local emergency management offices and the Alaska Broadcasters Association, will conduct the first-ever statewide test of the tsunami warning communications system on March 30 at 9:45 a.m. Alaska Standard Time. Live tsunami warning codes, rather than a test code, will be broadcast on television stations statewide. (Click image for larger view of the north end of Resurrection Bay at Seward, Alaska, about 75 km from the epicenter after the March 27, 1964, tsunami struck. An overturned ship, a demolished Texaco chemical truck, and a torn-up dock strewn with logs and scrap metal are visible. A section of the waterfront slid into Resurrection Bay. Waves spread in all directions, destroying the Alaska railroad docks, and washing out railroad and highway bridges. Please credit “Dept. of Interior.)

The communications test will involve NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards, the Emergency Alert System, and other state and local communication links. Radio listeners should hear the familiar alerting tone followed by an audio message describing the test, similar to the routine monthly tests of the EAS. Television viewers, however, may see something different.

Some automated systems, such as for cable TV, are programmed to scroll a standard, pre-composed message based upon the emergency code received. Because a live tsunami warning code will be used, the message television viewers see will not contain the word "TEST." In fact, it should say, "THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TSUNAMI WARNING FOR ALL OF ALASKA..." The television audio message that will accompany the crawler will explain it is a test, but if the volume is turned down or otherwise unheard, viewers may not realize the warning is a test.

"This is a critical first step in testing the entire tsunami warning communications system to ensure the safety of all Alaskans," said retired Navy Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. "We're confident the results will not only help protect Alaskans from future tsunamis but will serve as a testing model for other states and territories that could be impacted by these destructive waves. We think tests like this will become a standard part of NOAA's commitment to better engage and inform the public as we build a nationwide tsunami detection and warning system." (Click aerial image for larger view of Valdez, Alaska, showing the extent of inundation along the coastline following the tsunami generated by an earthquake on March 27, 1964. A slice of the delta, approximately 1,220 m long and 183 m wide, slid into the sea and carried the dock area and portions of the town with it. Please credit “Dept. of Interior.)

The test is part of Tsunami Awareness Week, proclaimed by Governor Frank Murkowski as March 27 - April 2. The week coincides with the anniversary of the Great Alaskan Earthquake—a devastating 9.2 magnitude earthquake that triggered deadly tsunamis in Alaska 41 years ago on Good Friday, March 27, 1964.

"The deadly tsunami that occurred in Indonesia last December illustrates the extreme importance of having a tsunami warning system," Murkowski said. "When an actual tsunami warning is issued, we have to be ready to give all Alaskans that could be in danger as much notice as possible so they can seek safety.”

"We are doing all we can to ensure the public is aware of the test ahead of time so we do not create confusion," said Jim Butchart, deputy director of Emergency Management for the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. "The only way to truly test our warning system is to use the live codes, so it is very important that we get the public involved in the test as much as possible."

The general public can participate in the test by monitoring NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards or via commercial radio, cable TV or local television for the EAS message. Local emergency management may use the test to help raise awareness of the tsunami hazard.

Officials will evaluate the success of the test and correct any problems that are uncovered. To assist in this process, people in coastal areas should monitor their normal media sources at the time of the test and report afterwards via a Internet address given in the test message.

Most importantly, people living or working in coastal areas that DO NOT receive the test through commercial radio or weather radio should report that fact to their local NOAA National Weather Service office.

If there is excessive seismic activity on March 30, the test will be cancelled.

The NOAA National Weather Service is the primary source of weather data, forecasts and warnings for the United States and its territories. The NOAA National Weather Service operates the most advanced weather and flood warning and forecast system in the world, helping to protect lives and property and enhance the national economy.

NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and providing environmental stewardship of the nation�s coastal and marine resources. NOAA is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Relevant Web Sites
NOAA National Weather Service Alaska Region

NOAA West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center

NOAA Tsunamis Page

Media Contact:
Tracey Lake, NOAA National Weather Service Alaska Region, (907) 271-4767