Service Assessment South Pacific Basin Tsunami – September 29-30, 2009 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Weather Service Silver Spring, Maryland Cover Photographs: Photographs of the damage incurred on the island of American Samoa as a result of the September 29 tsunami. Photos courtesy of the Associated Press (top left) and Gordon Yamasaki, NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service, Pago Pago ii Service Assessment South Pacific Basin Tsunami September 29-30, 2009 May 2010 National Weather Service John L. Hayes Assistant Administrator for Weather Services iii Preface A magnitude 8.0 earthquake occurred on September 29, 2009, 120 miles southwest of American Samoa. This major earthquake generated a tsunami that took many lives and caused significant destruction to neighboring islands in the Pacific Ocean. With only 17 minutes between the beginning of the earthquake and the arrival of the first waves in American Samoa, preparedness efforts and rapid warnings were critical for residents to protect themselves. Although reduced in size, the tsunami generated by this earthquake reached the Hawaiian Islands and eventually the West Coast of the continental United States. There were no major impacts in Hawaii or along the West Coast. The mission of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Weather Service is to provide weather, hydrologic, and climate forecasts and warnings for the United States, its territories, adjacent waters, and ocean areas for the protection of life and property and the enhancement of the national economy. This mission includes warnings for tsunami events. The National Weather Service chartered a team to assess the performance of our offices and the effectiveness of our services as they related to this tsunami event. The team focused on tsunami-affected areas served by the National Weather Service in American Samoa and Hawaii. The goal of this report is to share best practices and challenges with all our offices in order to continuously improve services. Without a doubt, strong tsunami outreach and education efforts by the International Tsunami Information Center, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, the Weather Service Office in Pago Pago, American Samoa officials, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration partners saved numerous lives. In fact, because of public tsunami education and outreach, people knew what actions to take based on the earthquake duration, magnitude, and the receding of the ocean. However, challenges were identified in the areas of internal and external communication and warning systems during this major disaster. These are further detailed in this report. Assistant Administrator for Weather Services May 2010 iv Table of Contents Page Service Assessment Team...........................................................................................................................vii Executive Summary......................................................................................................................................1 1. Introduction...........................................................................................................................................4 1.1. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center, and National Weather Service Mission .................................................................................................4 1.2. Purpose of Assessment Report .......................................................................................................5 1.3. Methodology...................................................................................................................................5 2. Summary of Earthquake and Resultant Tsunami Event .......................................................................6 3. Best Practices, Facts, Findings, and Recommendations .......................................................................6 3.1. PTWC Operations, Products, and Services ....................................................................................6 3.2. WSO Pago Pago Operations, Products, and Services...................................................................12 3.3. American Samoa External Response............................................................................................17 3.4. WFO Honolulu Operations, Products and Services .....................................................................19 3.5. Hawaii External Response............................................................................................................21 3.6. Dissemination ...............................................................................................................................23 3.7. Social Science...............................................................................................................................25 3.8. Outreach .......................................................................................................................................28 3.9. TsunamiReady Program ...............................................................................................................29 3.10. WC/ATWC Operations, Products, and Services ..........................................................................30 3.11. International Services ...................................................................................................................31 4. Summary.............................................................................................................................................33 v Appendices................................................................................................................................................A-1 Appendix A: Definitions...........................................................................................................................A-1 Appendix B: Findings, Recommendations, and Best Practices ................................................................B-1 Best Practices ........................................................................................................................................B-1 Findings and Recommendations ...........................................................................................................B-2 Appendix C: Acronyms ............................................................................................................................C-1 Appendix D: Sea Level Observations and Model Output.........................................................................D-1 Appendix E: Chronology of Events and Products September 29-30, 2009.............................................. E-1 Appendix F: Tsunami Warning Center Messages .................................................................................... F-1 PTWC Tsunami Messages – 29 September 2009................................................................................. F-1 WC/ATWC Tsunami Messages – 29 September 2009...........................................................………F-20 vi Service Assessment Team The following members were on the team: Kenneth Graham Team Leader, Meteorologist-in-Charge, National Weather Service (NWS) New Orleans/Baton Rouge, LA Allison Allen Oceanographer, Coastal Program Manager, Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services, National Ocean Service, Silver Spring, MD Cheryl Anderson Social Scientist, Director of the Hazards, Climate & Environment Program in the Social Science Research Institute, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI Christa von Geologist, Director and Researcher, Puerto Rico Seismic Network, Hillebrand-Andrade Department of Geology, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, PR Melinda Bailey Meteorologist, Marine and Public Services Program Manager, NWS Southern Region Headquarters, Fort Worth, TX Susan Buchanan Public Affairs Specialist, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Silver Spring, MD Michael Caropolo Meteorologist-in-Charge, NWS Wilmington, NC Jeff Lorens Meteorologist, Marine and Warning Coordination Program Manager, NWS Western Region Headquarters, Salt Lake City, UT Bruce Turner Geophysicist, Science Officer (Ret.), NWS West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center, Palmer, AK Bill Ward Meteorologist, Chief Environmental Sciences and Services Division, NWS Pacific Region Headquarters, Honolulu, HI Tyree Wilde Warning Coordination Meteorologist, NWS Portland, OR vii Other valuable contributors: David Caldwell Meteorologist, Director Office of Climate, Water, and Weather Services (OCWWS), NWS Headquarters Silver Spring, MD Jenifer Rhoades NOAA Tsunami Program Coordinator/National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program Administrator, OCWWS, NWS Headquarters Silver Spring, MD Laura Kong, PhD Director, International Tsunami Information Center, Honolulu, HI Vasily Titov, PhD Chief Scientist, NOAA Center for Tsunami Research, Seattle, WA Paul Whitmore Geophysicist, Director, West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center, Palmer, AK Douglas Young Chief, OCWWS Performance Branch Sal Romano Service Assessment Program Manager, OCWWS Performance Branch Melody Magnus Technical Editor, Earth Resources Technology Inc., OCWWS Acknowledgements The team would like to thank emergency management, media, state, and Federal partners in both American Samoa and Hawaii. Many individuals took the time to answer questions and share their opinions with the team. All of these people were critical to the development