What to do in a tsunami or the value of traditional knowledge
While tsunamis usually occur in the Pacifi c Ocean, all low-lying coastal areas can be struck by
tsunamis. In North America, higher risk areas have warning systems in place, and clearly marked
evacuation routes.
The best advice for surviving a tsunami is to get as far away from its destructive force as possible.
• If you are caught on land near the coast during an earthquake, move as quickly as possible away
from the water and, if possible, up higher ground.
• If you are on open water in a boat, move as quickly as possible to deeper water.
Most buildings will not provide a great deal of protection from tsunamis. Some may collapse, others may fl ood
trapping you inside.
This basic knowledge passed down from generation to generation
saved whole villages of the Moken people during the
recent Indian Ocean tsunami. Moken Elders tell stories of the
Laboon, the wave that eats people. They say that before the
wave arrives, the earth shakes, birds and bugs fall silent, water
animals move deep into the ocean and land animals move to
higher ground, then the water recedes. As the story goes, when
these signs occur all the people must abandon their homes
and move to higher ground as quickly as possible, because
the water will return quickly in quantities bigger than can be
imagined. As far as any one can tell, only one Moken died in
the recent tsunami.
What is lifesaving knowledge in your community?
Posted by Aneka Tips
on 17.08. Filed under