Possumblog

Why the other one was so devastating.

Tsunami Warning After Tonga Quake Lifted

By PESI FONUA, Associated Press Writer

23 minutes ago

NUKU'ALOFA, Tonga - A magnitude 8.0 earthquake struck early Thursday near the South Pacific nation of Tonga, prompting tsunami warnings for as far away as Fiji and New Zealand. The warning was lifted after a tsunami of less than 2 feet was recorded. [...]

There is a natural tendency to discount future warnings when present warnings turn out to be inconsequential.

You do have to enjoy the scientist/press interaction, though--

[...] The warning center's instruments detected there could be small tsunamis with waves of less than 2 feet in areas close to the earthquake, geophysicist Barry Hirshorn said.

"We're not observing much of a tsunami," he said. "Strictly speaking, it's not very devastating." [...]

Well, yes, strictly speaking, whenever there is no damage due to something, that would tend to be not very devastating. Thankfully, we can all rest assured that this thing about speaking in strict terms will in no way deflect criticism of this devastating event away from George Bush.

Or Canadians.

(A two foot high tsunami!? I've had tsunamis that big in my bathtub.)

Posted by Terry Oglesby at May 3, 2006 02:30 PM