Tsunamis

Another really crazy thing about the Oregon Coast is the Tsunami Warning signs that are posted all over to create panic without providing any information. There is NO information anywhere about what kind of siren would sound or anything if there was a tsunami warning. So maybe you're supposed to be listening to the radio all the time? Or you are supposed to look up on the internet for information on every little town you're going to drive through? In two different towns we visited, Eureka and Gold Beach, loud sirens went off. In Gold Beach it happened as we were heading into a restaurant, and 4 or 5 other people had just come out. We all looked at each other and sort of laughed, and asked each other what it meant. None of us knew, of course, because we were all tourists. But someone asked if it was a tsunami warning. (You can't help but think that because the signs are EVERYWHERE) So I went in and asked the guy in the restaurant, who said it was the volunteer fire siren or something. Then I went back outside and told the other folks, who were actually grateful, because I think they were a little more worried than we were.

The really silly thing is that all along the coast there are signs that you are either entering a danger zone or leaving a danger zone. But the areas where they say you are leaving the danger zone are where the road is like 20 - 30 feet above the beach instead of almost level with the beach. The big earthquake is going to cause a tsunami that is higher than 100 feet. So what the hell? We should have stopped and taken some pictures. What are those planner people thinking?

There is actually tons of information on the internet. I'm going to read it all before I go to the beach again.

Which reminds me of my previous tsunami experience. In June 2005 I had to go to nasty ugly Coos Bay for work. I got there about 8:00 pm, checked into my motel, and went for a walk. Oddly enough, I headed up the hill to see if it was any better than the rest of the town. (It was, actually.) I got back to my room about 9:00 or so, and turned on the tv. I saw some brief thing on the news about a tsunami warning being over. So I looked on the internet, and figured out that there had been an earthquake off the coast a little before 8:00 which had generated a tsunami warning. If it had come, it would have hit Coos Bay while I was on my walk. But there was nothing to indicate there was any kind of warning. People were in their yards working, people out walking, kids in the park, cars driving all over, etc. No sirens. Nothing. No warning when I checked in to the motel. I guess my point is that nothing has improved since then, in spite of lots of money being spent. There is information available if you look for it, but the only thing there for tourists is the be afraid, be very afraid stuff.

I wonder what the tsunami warning system in Peru is like.

And the countertops are still "brick" colored. We are thinking of options.