The Flood (Part 2)
I wasn't going to return to this topic until everything had been cleared away, aid had been delivered and the whole thing had been analysed and conclusions drawn about how best to warn of, prepare for and perhaps defend against the tsunami. The trouble is that we will probably never be able to adequately defend people in those areas prone to tsunami because of the sheer power of all that water hitting at once. Although, having said that, I have noticed that some Mosques seem to have survived the onslought. Whether they are built on higher ground than their surrounding villages or whether they are built more sturdily than the houses of their congregations I don't know, but, if they can be built to survive then surely some kind of shelters can be designed and built to withstand the power of the sea?
The amounts raised by the richer countries of the word, (and/or their populations independently), will, no doubt, be counted in the billions of Dollars etc. I profoundly hope that the money is used wisely. Of course immediate relief for the survivors must be rushed in and the clean-up must be begun as soon as is logistically possible but it is in the re-building that the countries concerned must be most vigilant. They must ensure that all re-building is carried out to the highest safety standards and that "cowboys" are kept well away. If early warning systems are available then they must be installed as soon as possible and civil defence must be taught to the people on the same lines that Japan teaches it's people what to do in the event of earthquakes.
Never again should it be possible for an underwater earthquake to produce killer waves and for those waves to explode, without warning, on unprotected people and buildings and, never again, should a shocked world have to wake up to the news that over 150,000 people have been killed at a stroke.
posted by Eddie @ 7:10 am
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