Tonga: Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha’apai eruption and tsunami

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by Tetepare

Newsflash, Tonga has PhDs, MBAs, experts in ICT, construction, power, etc.

As of today they have a bit of satellite, but only the government knows this.

.....and Lobster Burgers!

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

.....and Lobster Burgers!

And the world's best takeaway - the 'chicken and bits of pig ( or was it lamb? don't remember - maybe both ) wood fired rottiserie' in a road side trailer.
Yummo

[JPA Cate]

I was pleased to read today that the Tongan government had been telling people to stockpile food and water since there had been steam & gas eruptions in December and also on Jan. 13. They had mentioned the tsunami danger, as well, so people were prepared pretty well for food and water shortage in the short term, and aware of the higher places to go to....and I'm thinking they did really well. Only 3 deaths, because they were prepared and luck gave them good enough places to go.

Three cheers for the Tongans!

Ann

[GordMay]

The day the world went dark: Survivor recalls disaster in Tonga
“... If death had a sound, that would be it ...”
More ➥ https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/...aster-in-tonga

[TATYANNA]

Wow...where is it now?

[GordMay]

Off the coast of Peru, near Lima, the tsunami triggered an oil spill, which has been termed an “ecological disaster” by officials.

The spill occurred when waves crashed into an Italian-flagged tanker, "Mare Doricum", belonging to the Spanish energy firm Repsol, carrying 6,000 barrels of oil, at La Pampilla refinery, which leaked into the Pacific Ocean.

It is thought to have harmed a potential 6,950 square miles (18,000sq km) of protected habitats, which foster a wide variety of species, including the rare Humboldt penguin.

[Alan Mighty]

Pacific tidal gauge recordings:

https://www.spc.int/updates/blog/202...ion-across-the

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Off the coast of Peru, near Lima, the tsunami triggered an oil spill, which has been termed an “ecological disaster” by officials.

The spill occurred when waves crashed into an Italian-flagged tanker, "Mare Doricum", belonging to the Spanish energy firm Repsol, carrying 6,000 barrels of oil, at La Pampilla refinery, which leaked into the Pacific Ocean.

It is thought to have harmed a potential 6,950 square miles (18,000sq km) of protected habitats, which foster a wide variety of species, including the rare Humboldt penguin.

Naughty tanker!!
I do so wish 'the press' would stop talking about 'barrels'. But then when they call HMAS Adelaide a 'navy gunship' I fear I wish in vain.
Anyway this 158,000 DWT tanker spilt about 250 tonnes of crude. She was alongside discharging at the time when surge from the tsunami carried away her Chiksan kit - the hosey bits that attach the ship to the shore pipelines and 250 tonnes were lost before they could stop pumping.

Now if the government of Peru had issued a tsunami alert ( they didn't want to alarm the population !) maybe the ship would have stopped pumping until the danger had passed.

But lets blame the tanker anyway. Nice.
https://www.fleetmon.com/maritime-ne...l-spill-story/

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

... Now if the government of Peru had issued a tsunami alert ( they didn't want to alarm the population !) maybe the ship would have stopped pumping until the danger had passed.
But lets blame the tanker anyway. Nice.
https://www.fleetmon.com/maritime-ne...l-spill-story/

The cited article reads more like an editorial, than a news report. The author's opinion* may be valid, or not.

I couldn't find any primary sources of authoratative information about "warnings".
The press has widely reported scant information:
More than 20 Peruvian ports were temporarily closed as a precautionary measure amid warnings that the volcano was causing abnormally high waves, according to Peru's National Institute of Civil Defense [Indeci].
The Peruvian Navy had reported that a tsunami alert was ruled out for the Pacific Coast country.

➥ https://crisis24.garda.com/insights-...n-tonga-jan-15

* More Opinion by Mikhail Voytenko ➥ https://www.maritimebulletin.net/category/opinion/

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Icouldn't find any primary sources of authoratative information about "warnings".
The press has widely reported scant information:
More than 20 Peruvian ports were temporarily closed as a precautionary measure amid warnings that the volcano was causing abnormally high waves, according to Peru's National Institute of Civil Defense [Indeci].
The Peruvian Navy had reported that a tsunami alert was ruled out for the Pacific Coast country.

➥ https://crisis24.garda.com/insights-...n-tonga-jan-15

That link says that PTWC issued advisories, everything I have read suggests that Peru chose to ignore them and issue no warnings.

Meanwhile I see she wasn't alongside but at an offshore mooring where the surge would have been unlikely to affect her.
https://en.mercopress.com/2022/01/24...l-spill-at-sea
Once again we have dodgy use of units... shock horror ! 1,800,490 m2 of beach !!! Thats 0.7 of a square mile.

[CaptTom]

Originally Posted by GordMay

The day the world went dark: Survivor recalls disaster in Tonga
“... If death had a sound, that would be it ...”
More ➥ https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/...aster-in-tonga

That was mostly a good read, thanks! It's helpful to read the words of regular people on the ground. The reporting, however, left a bit to be desired:

There was no way for Tevita and his fellow Tongans to know at that moment...

Nor could they imagine that the eruption would send a tsunami racing across the Pacific Ocean...

[Then, toward the end of the story:]

In the days leading up to the January 15 blast, the Tonga Geological Services had been warning of impending eruptions and a potential tsunami, instructing locals to stay away from the beaches. Volcanologists now believe that it was this preparedness that probably resulted in thousands of lives being saved.

And they wonder why people have such little faith in journalists.

[TATYANNA]

OH My God... This is horrible.
We still have no NEWS on the outcome in TONGA..?

Thanks for sharing.

[TATYANNA]

Originally Posted by CaptTom

That was mostly a good read, thanks! It's helpful to read the words of regular people on the ground. The reporting, however, left a bit to be desired:



And they wonder why people have such little faith in journalists.

Lol.. GOOD POST CAPT JOHN... I agree little faith in journalists as they have to post what gives them a pay cheque. I SUPPOSE...LOL

[AilesEtIles]

If you go to:
SEA LEVEL STATION MONITORING FACILITY
and focus on the correct date, you can see that the tsunami was sensed in the Northern Atlantic too!

[GordMay]

COVID-19 cases expected to rise in Tonga
Tonga recorded 31 new COVID-19 cases Friday [Feb 10/22], bringing the total to 64 active cases, since the first two positive cases were announced last Tuesday, February 1. The cases are in Tongatapu, and one case has been confirmed in Tu’anuku in Vava’u.
There is also one historic case, from October last year, that brings Tonga's total COVID positive reporting to 66.
Several stories, from Matangi Tonga Online, describe this weeks escalating situation ➥ https://matangitonga.to/