The next thing to fear: Tsunami

It seems like Long Island has been out hurricane watching since Katrina devastated New Orleans, and all we have seen is a couple of mild seasons pass us by.

So here’s the next thing to worry about, a massive tsunami crashing into our banks.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Monday released elevation maps for Long Island that it will use to better understand how a monstrous wave could ravage our region. Scientists will use the data to set up tsunami models.

From the Associated Press story:

The maps are developed by scientists at NOAA’s National Geophysical Data Center and the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), both based in Boulder, Colo.

The elevation model is then sent to the NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory in Seattle, where it is incorporated into tsunami model scenarios. These scenarios simulate offshore earthquakes, the resulting tsunami movement across the ocean and the magnitude and location of coastal flooding caused when the tsunami reaches the shore. With these results, the NOAA Tsunami Warning Centers can issue more accurate flooding forecasts if an earthquake triggers an actual tsunami.

“Near the shoreline, all tsunamis are sensitive to minor variations in seafloor and land topography, increasing in height as they approach the coast,” said Barry Eakins, CIRES research scientist. “Better understanding of the relief of the coastal zone is critical to predicting how a tsunami will flood coastal communities.”

Other communities where models have been completed include Biloxi, Miss.; Cape Hatteras, N.C.; Corpus Christi, Texas; Dutch Harbor, Alaska; Galveston, Texas; Garibaldi, Ore.; Kawaihae, Hawaii; King Cove, Alaska; La Push, Wash.; Lahaina, Hawaii; Mayaguez, Puerto Rico; Myrtle Beach, S.C.; Panama City, Fla.; Port San Luis, Calif.; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Sand Point, Alaska; Savannah, Ga., and Virginia Beach, Va.

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