WASHINGTON, June 5 (UPI) -- A report Monday said state and federal governments need to bolster their planning for the possibility that a tsunami could strike the United States.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) concluded that while modern technology is able to detect the formation of a tsunami fairly quickly, the United States lacks both a robust warning system and detailed knowledge on the impact a tidal wave could have on coastal areas.
The agency's report came at the request of Sen. Diane Feinstein, D-Calif., whose earthquake-prone state could be in the bulls-eye of a wave.
While the tragedy of the tsunamis in Indonesia offered a rare look at their destructive potential, the GAO noted that the United States has had 16 tsunami warnings since 1982. No waves were produced in those instances, but the beating taken by Indonesia and other countries raised concerns about the effect a similar event would have on a crowded U.S. coastal region.
The GAO found that both state and federal agencies such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, lacked reliable maps of areas that could be expected to be inundated by a tsunami, a problem attributed in part to a lack of loss-estimation software.
Most areas had some form of tsunami warning plan in place, the GAO found, however more "end-to-end" readiness testing was urged. The report also said public awareness of how to respond to a tsunami warning should also be increased through such programs as curriculum for coastal school districts and other public awareness campaigns.
Governments were also advised to ramp up plans for evacuation routes and emergency communications infrastructure that would be used after a tsunami hit, including new construction codes for infrastructure that take tsunami surges into account.
