Once again Indonesia has been ravaged by a killer wave, yet
this time it was considerably closer than the massive December
’04 wave that had a disastrous effect throughout the
coastal regions of Asia.
West Java is geologically just a stones throw from Bali, and
it leaves many of us asking the question could it be us next
time? And what would be the implications? The answer is of
course it most certainly could happen here, and indeed just
last weekend several strong quakes along the coast of North
Bali sparked fears that the waters would rise, but they didn’t.
Ok so “what if”? It raises a lot of interesting
speculations, one of them being that if the wave hit the South
of Bali you can forget any plans to skip off the Island. Even
a moderate wave would take out the airport first; wise then
to make alternative plans like stocking up on fresh water,
food and medicines in your store room “just in case”.
When you consider the history of tsunami’s it does seem
that they are occurring more frequently around us, four of
the five major Tsunamis recorded in Indonesia occurring in
the past 15 years. Before this, the worst tsunami disaster
followed the volcanic eruption of the island of Krakatoa in
1883 when 35 meter waves crashed into Java and Sumatra, drowning
36,420 people! 2,700 died on the Indonesian island of Flores
in December 1992. On 3 June, 1994, a tsunami took over 200
lives along the Indian Ocean coastline of Java, and over 100,000
people perished in Aceh in the December 2004 wave.
So how will you know when the “big one” is on
its way?
TSUNAMI SURVIVAL (Safety Rules)
- If you hear or feel that a strong
earthquake has occurred, stand by for a possible tsunami emergency,
and be prepared to move from low-lying coastal or lakeside
areas to high ground at short notice. All tsunamis are
potentially dangerous and destructive. (It is wise to make
a mental note of the closest route to higher ground from the
places that you frequent, such as school, office, home. Some
places are not as high as you think they are, for example
the Sanur bypass to Kuta is almost sea level and would be
certainly knocked out by any Tsunami.
- When an official warning is issued,
it means a tsunami actually exists. (By the way don’t
wait for an official warning in Bali! Use your common sense
and move!) Some tsunami victims have dismissed such
warnings as false alarms and died as a result.
- Approaching tsunamis are sometimes
preceded by a rapid rise or fall in sea-level. This
is nature’s warning and should be heeded. Vessels
should head for deep water immediately.
- A small tsunami at one point on
the shore can be extremely large a few kilometers away so
don’t let the modest size of one make you lose respect
for all.
- As a tsunami is not a single wave,
stay out of danger areas until an official ‘all-clear’.
- Never go to the shore to watch a
tsunami. If you can see it, you are too close to escape.
- Cooperate with your local emergency
authorities if asked to evacuate.
It helps of course if you can swim, although a Tsunami should
not be thought of as just a “big wave” because
technically it does not have the same formation as a regular
ocean wave at all, but a massive wall of water followed by
the force of mega-tons of ocean. The waves’ energy extends
from deep ocean floor to surface.
A tsunami is a series of traveling waves of extremely long
length and period. They are caused by under-sea events
like earthquakes, landslides and volcanic eruptions; or by
other natural events such as ocean meteorite impacts, or large
landslides into bays or lakes. A tsunami is like the effect
of a stone landing in a pond. Waves radiate out in ever-widening
circles. As a tsunami crosses a deep ocean, length from
crest to crest may be 150 km but the height may be under a
meter, not felt by ships nor seen from the air, and may reach
speeds up to 1,000 km/h. As tsunamis enter shallow water
near coastlines, wave speeds drop as energy is compressed
into much shorter distances. Wave heights increase dramatically
up to 40 meters, threatening life and property, as they strike
the shore with devastating force. Between multiple waves,
which may vary in size, sea-level may actually drop well below
normal. Great destruction may arise even though the
tsunami may have been caused thousands of kilometers away.
“Kim Patra is a qualified Registered Nurse and Midwife
that has been living and working in Bali for almost twenty
years. She now runs her own private practice and medical referral
service from her Kuta office. Kim is happy to discuss any
health concerns with you and she may be contacted via e-mail
at info@chcbali.com”.
