Live data from Hacker News

Tsunami warning was issued in Alaska after 7.3 magnitude earthquake [updated]

tsunami.gov

11–20 of 27 posts

Re: Tsunami warning was issued in Alaska after 7.3 magnitude earthquake [updated]

#11
post #2

* A tsunami was generated by this event, but no longer poses a threat. * This will be the final U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center message issued for this event. I'm in danger of being "Warning-ed" out. Watches are different and will always get my attention. Especially after the recent overreaction to sending out way more flood warnings even when it is not any where near me is just getting me to not bother with the…

Aren't warnings always positioned as being a more immediate threat than watches?

https://www.weather.gov/safety/tsunami-alerts

Re: Tsunami warning was issued in Alaska after 7.3 magnitude earthquake [updated]

#12
post #11
post #2

* A tsunami was generated by this event, but no longer poses a threat. * This will be the final U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center message issued for this event. I'm in danger of being "Warning-ed" out. Watches are different and will always get my attention. Especially after the recent overreaction to sending out way more flood warnings even when it is not any where near me is just getting me to not bother with the…

Aren't warnings always positioned as being a more immediate threat than watches? https://www.weather.gov/safety/tsunami-alerts

+1. We really need better words for this because I have to look up which is worse every time.

Re: Tsunami warning was issued in Alaska after 7.3 magnitude earthquake [updated]

#13
post #12
post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Aren't warnings always positioned as being a more immediate threat than watches? https://www.weather.gov/safety/tsunami-alerts

+1. We really need better words for this because I have to look up which is worse every time.

A little trick: If you think of both words as verbs, one is intuitively worse than the other. (I agree thinking of them as nouns is confusing)

Re: Tsunami warning was issued in Alaska after 7.3 magnitude earthquake [updated]

#14
post #10
post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think what tsunami.gov did is bad. It was an event that requires immediate notifications. They did. It also was quickly de-escalated and updated that it was no longer a threat. Great. It's the knee jerk reaction to now over-notifying flood warnings in Texas that has me numb now. The entire Texas government should be embarrassed by the whole thing, but I know they are not which makes me even more embarrassed f…

Right, it’s more that you don’t trust the existing alerts because morons are issuing them than that there are too many. I totally get that! If you knew the alerts were coming from someone who knew what they were doing, you’d tolerate them. They do the same thing with Amber Alerts in my area. It got to a point where it was multiple times a week, it’s common sense to tune it out or turn ‘em off.

In this case, the local morons didn't do anything with the notices they were provided, so even the phone alerts did not go out. This was then a double whammy because it was deep night when most people are in their deepest sleep.

It's also the fact that the moron's past decisions specifically about this have come to light where they decided to spend money elsewhere. That never looks good. So unless that money cured cancer or something in that realm, it won't be any less horrible than if it was used to pay for upgrading government offices.

Re: Tsunami warning was issued in Alaska after 7.3 magnitude earthquake [updated]

#15
post #13
post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

+1. We really need better words for this because I have to look up which is worse every time.

A little trick: If you think of both words as verbs, one is intuitively worse than the other. (I agree thinking of them as nouns is confusing)

Right, so:

Warning, tornadoes might occur.

Watch out, we saw a tornado!

Re: Tsunami warning was issued in Alaska after 7.3 magnitude earthquake [updated]

#16
post #13
post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

+1. We really need better words for this because I have to look up which is worse every time.

A little trick: If you think of both words as verbs, one is intuitively worse than the other. (I agree thinking of them as nouns is confusing)

You're watching out for something so that you can then warn people when it is happening. An example would be someone on fire watch. If they see a fire, they warn everyone. Emergency responders like fire departments have terms like Third Watch (hence the TV show) for the crew pulling the overnight shift.

So more than considering noun/verb, the subject is key. You're watching the storm for a tornado. You're not watching the tornado.

Re: Tsunami warning was issued in Alaska after 7.3 magnitude earthquake [updated]

#17
post #15
post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A little trick: If you think of both words as verbs, one is intuitively worse than the other. (I agree thinking of them as nouns is confusing)

Right, so: Warning, tornadoes might occur. Watch out, we saw a tornado!

No. You've reversed them.

We're watching out for a tornado because the conditions are right for them.

You're now warned a tornado is coming after it is confirmed.

Re: Tsunami warning was issued in Alaska after 7.3 magnitude earthquake [updated]

#18

I didn't realise Alaska had that southern archipelago but even before I checked it definitely looks like it traces a fault line.

Yep, it's along the ring of fire where most of the world's earthquakes occur.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_of_Fire

Re: Tsunami warning was issued in Alaska after 7.3 magnitude earthquake [updated]

#19
Glad I had the inkling to hoard gallons of fresh water and canned anchovies just this past week. I'm in Seattle btw, I remember this year we had a power outage the neighborhood people spent the entire week huddling around a fire in the culdesac.

And if the earthquake doesn't scare them, the volcano that triggers will. And if they're still not prepared, there's also the tsunami.

Re: Tsunami warning was issued in Alaska after 7.3 magnitude earthquake [updated]

#20
post #15
post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A little trick: If you think of both words as verbs, one is intuitively worse than the other. (I agree thinking of them as nouns is confusing)

Right, so: Warning, tornadoes might occur. Watch out, we saw a tornado!

You are watching for something that might happen, in case it does happen.

You are warning others that something dangerous has happened, because you have seen it. There is an actual danger.

This has always been intuitive for me (once it was first explained at least), so I'm surprised it isn't for others.

Post reply on HN