surviving a tsunami?

the best thing I thought of would be getting a scuba tank and waiting it out in a sewer. Any other ideas?

That, albeit is a very unique plan.

I would suggest not living near the oceans for starters.

www.foxnews.com...

A sewer, I believe would not be a safe place, as the water may need time to go down, and well your practically at the bottom of it, and visibilty isn't guarenteed. They suggest High buildings, or at the first report move inland.

Hope that helped?

and why the sudden interest? If I can ask?

Here's a better site. www.wikihow.com...

[edit on 7-4-2009 by Republican08]

Well the interest is because I live about 20 minutes from the beach in southern california..
Well I still think having a scuba tank and being underground would be the best bet, assuming you could get out from all the pressure of being underwater, but I have a large horizontal sewer near my house with no opening gate which I assume would be safe with the scuba tank allowing hours of breathing time to allow the water forces to calm down, before swimming up to the surface.
And buildings don't make much sense as I would think they could easily be knocked down from the force of a large tsunami.

[non serious anwer]
I suggest a pocket hot air balloon - at the first indication of a tsunami, whip it out of your back pocket and inflate with the gas bottles included... Take off and watch the carnage develop and you consume the wine and sandwiches also included in the pack.
[/non serious answer]

Head in land - the further inland you go the more undamaged the infrastructure... Hel that boxing day tsunami there were people eating nice meals out in the sun about 2 kilometres away from a huge natural disaster.

Inland and up hill... And don't hang about.

I was skeptical to of the high building survival mode. Although if the building doesn't collapse, you won't be swept away to hit other buildings and etc.

Always keep on eye on the news, or get a Weather Detector, I've got one that alerts any danger.

Thing about the sewer is some tsunamis can travel at 500km per hour! So being in a sewer seems like that would knock you around against the sides like its noones business!!

reply to post by bl4ke360


You'd very likely get washed out of a sewer and if that didn't kill you, you'd probably end up with one hell of a nasty infection from sewage getting into the open wounds you'd almost certainly have after being scraped along the sewer walls.

The best option would be to find high ground, even if that's just a building.

Originally posted by vor78
reply to post by bl4ke360

 

You'd very likely get washed out of a sewer and if that didn't kill you, you'd probably end up with one hell of a nasty infection from sewage getting into the open wounds you'd almost certainly have after being scraped along the sewer walls.

The best option would be to find high ground, even if that's just a building.

This.

Theres also the likely possibility that you wouldnt be able to get back out as the debri would covers your immediate exits & scuba tanks hold an hr or so of air?
It could be an option but a lot of factors have to be right for the outcome to be good.
High ground or an ejection seat that parachutes back down while inflating into a liferaft

Originally posted by bl4ke360
Well the interest is because I live about 20 minutes from the beach in southern california..

The Western seaboard has much less to fear than the Eastern.

If that Canary Islands Volcano Island decides to slide into the sea you can say goodbye to a LOT of people in the states. I forget the programme I saw it on ( a long time ago) but this baby will make the Boxing Day Tsunami look like a bucket of water.

Originally posted by Nirgal

Originally posted by bl4ke360
Well the interest is because I live about 20 minutes from the beach in southern california..

The Western seaboard has much less to fear than the Eastern.

If that Canary Islands Volcano Island decides to slide into the sea you can say goodbye to a LOT of people in the states. I forget the programme I saw it on ( a long time ago) but this baby will make the Boxing Day Tsunami look like a bucket of water.

A member on here said an asteroid will hit the pacific ocean causing a tsunami that ranges from San Fransisco to Lima Peru. While i think he is lying, it's always good to be prepared..
This is the guy's thread: www.abovetopsecret.com...

And an email he sent me:

I would agree that gaining high ground is not only the BEST way to survive a tsunami, but the ONLY feasible one.

"Waiting it out in a sewer?"

Hmmm.. You mean like a sewer storm drain?
That only works if the pressure of the water doesn't force you through a pipe that is actually smaller than your body in its current state. The state that sustains your life.

Also, do you plan on carrying scuba gear with you everywhere? "Oh wait a second honey before we take this romantic stroll on the beach. I need to get my scuba gear in case of a tsunami. Sorry you don't have one also. At least one of us will live."

Yeah, the only option is to be higher in elevation than the crest of the wave.

Depends on how much of a warning you have...

If you have enough time and access to a boat (on the ocean not a lake or inlet), you would actually be safer by heading out into open water and allowing the waves to pass right beneath you.

The waves really only build up in size the closer they get to shallow water. So say you had a 20 minute notice, and a boat tethered on the open water.... heading out to sea would insure maximum survivability.

Its the same reason why you will see people rush to docks when a "tsunami warning" is given for an area. Those people wait ON their boats and observe the water at the shoreline. When the water looks like it may recede, its time to move on out.

-edit- Other than the boat/sea option.... the posters above are right, head inland as far as possible and as high above sea level as you can get.

[edit on 8-4-2009 by TwiTcHomatic]

Higher ground....move out of low lying areas.... as mentioned before, the west coast isn't bad because there are so many mountains to just go up in a short drive, also islands in the way to take the brunt, while east coast, a lot of flatter places for things to flow through.....


I personally don't believe in too much of a tsunami happeneing though....it has just become part of the fear of the collective because of Thailand...

On this continent, (North America) we mostly have a battle of the mind, and ego, and battle with covetessness, and unappreciation, and lack of graditude for the blesings we have.....that is the true disaster in this area....the sheer blindness of the masses.

Originally posted by bl4ke360
the best thing I thought of would be getting a scuba tank and waiting it out in a sewer. Any other ideas?

I think you will end up as Calamari, First the overpressure in the drain will probably burst your lungs, then the tsunami being rammed up the drain at any more than 8 MPH will not only sweep you away but the huge weight pushing it along will squash you flat. A gallon of water weighs ten pounds, you have a few million gallons rushing towwrds you at speed carrying trees, rubble, boulders etc along with it, Figure the rest yourself

surviving a tidle wave, hmm, height ie hills, very tall building,s, dont use the elavator. anyone know how to get out of a powered down lift ??.. power will shut down almost imediatly,( i tried to practise this in my head but kept getting staired at in the lift, lol. you will need a rope to tie yourself down. escape route if trapped . if you survive your survival plan should kick in, dare i say it,.. think of your looting plan cause chances are you will have been caught on the hop. water medicine food tools ,
check out N/raiders survival lists very comprhencive, and detailed,..

and you might want do some preplanning, ie get your hep, A/B plus tetinus
jabs,...

[edit on 8-4-2009 by foxhoundone]

Surviving any situation is all about knowledge and preparation, Know your danger inside out and that is your best tool.

Time is another big key, If you hear there may be a tsunami on the way, Start taking action, If it does not hit then your not loosing anything, but if it dose you may gain your life,

Study up: check out if your local authorities have any info on what to do in a tsunami,

Have a safety bag at the ready filled with things you may need,

Know the area well, Know the paths, roads, ect and any high ground you can head towards,

If you get stuck again knowledge is a key, Know what floats.. Tree trucks, doors ect they all float and can be a life saving tool, Grab what you can to stay afloat,

Originally posted by TwiTcHomatic
Depends on how much of a warning you have...

If you have enough time and access to a boat (on the ocean not a lake or inlet), you would actually be safer by heading out into open water and allowing the waves to pass right beneath you.

The waves really only build up in size the closer they get to shallow water. So say you had a 20 minute notice, and a boat tethered on the open water.... heading out to sea would insure maximum survivability.

Its the same reason why you will see people rush to docks when a "tsunami warning" is given for an area. Those people wait ON their boats and observe the water at the shoreline. When the water looks like it may recede, its time to move on out.

[edit on 8-4-2009 by TwiTcHomatic]

Fact: Friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend was out on a boat Boxing Day. Didn't hear or see anything until they went back to harbour and found there was no harbour left.

Regarding a scuba tank and sewer, I have linked to a Youtube vid.

Here

Kinda humorous, but not a sewer I'd want to be near, much less in.

A few years ago, in a city outside Milwaukee, spring rains coupled with snow melt was causing the pressure in the sewer to blow the access (manhole) covers in the air. If I remember correctly, it was reported that some of these covers, which weighed nearly 300 lbs. 40-50 ft in the air.

reply to post by Nirgal


WTF......my family lives in the Canary islands! Would like to know more about this volcano.....the only active one that i know of is in Tenerife

I think that one of the sleeping volcanos has unstable ground conditions. If ever the volcano "woke up" half the mountain would slide into the sea, which would displace a massive amount of water. it would be worse than the 2004 wave.

Probably wont happen, but it could.