I had expected a lot today before joining a field study at the National Disaster Warning Center of Thailand. Well, when you expect a lot, you’re easily on your way to acute disappointment, right?
It turned out I wasn’t disappointed at all. I was actually very surprised and impressed at what I saw and learned.
So, when you know you expect a little too much, you also assume some disappointment along the way. Perhaps you're even willing to accept less in the process. Before you know it, you end up w/ more than you had hoped for.
Anyway, remember the Tsunami that hit the Andaman coast of Thailand late in the year 2004? To prepare for any type of natural disaster that might follow, the center in question was established 5 months later in May 2005.
It is located outside of Bangkok, in Nontaburi province actually. But on the surface, you might very well mistake it for a Bangkok suburb. The road is wider, the air cleaner, buildings lower etc. One thing that is missing – water buffalo.
Well, Bangkok is creeping all over the place.
One of the things that I learned is that not every quake in the sea causes a tsunami while at the same time not every tsunami is caused by a quake.
But one of the things (and also most comforting) that was revealed to me is that we have all the necessary gadgets floating, buried, installed etc at every risky area. Any signal that they send will be analyzed w/ expertise by the center before the public is alerted.
The time needed for the whole process is 8 minutes, and they actually aim to reduce it, w/ the same level of accuracy of course.
Currently, there is one buoy floating in middle of the Indian Ocean that we can count on to alert us in case of an imminent tsunami (if any.) The thingy is courtesy of the majestic government of the United States of America. However, the royal government of Thailand is hard to please 'cause they aim to install two more in the future at their own budget. By the end of this year, the number of warning towers along hot beaches will also double. Relax, beach afacionados!
But if you prefer somewhere in the Gulf of Thailand whether it be Chang Island, Samet Island, Pattaya, Hua Hin, Samui Island etc, Captain Saran assured us that we are tucked safely inside the Gulf and the water is shallow enough to disinterest the cruel waves (if any.)
Back to the center, it’s operated 24/7. There are 3 shifts everyday of eight hours each. Anything that happens will be deciphered and us, the general public notified in a wisp of time.
Warnings are all pre-recorded so they are accurate and to the point. I personally loved the German version of the announcement. Very affirmative! I liked the Chinese one too. Very nasal but somehow flirtatious.
Captain Saran (whom the center borrowed from (and might never return to) the Royal Air Force of Thailand) told us that a tsunami of a similar scale might not strike again within the next 200 years, and therefore, keeping this center alive in the meantime might just be a waste of public money for the next 197 years.
Still, the Thai government will undoubtedly continue to fund this vital center. Just in case! See how paramount preparedness is in this not so panicky kingdom?
Now, it would be an unnatural disaster if you kept skipping Thailand, when you really can’t afford to.
Joe
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