Tsunami alerts ‘confuse public’, says Noaa scientist

(BBC): Tsunami warnings need to convey information that is more meaningful to the public, a top US researcher says. Traditional alerts that have focussed on "wave amplitudes" are confusing to most people, says Dr Vasily Titov. The scientist, who directs Noaa’s Center for Tsunami Research, thinks more practical information such as the risk of flooding is also needed. He says this is one of the key lessons from the recent Magnitude 8.8 Chilean earthquake and subsequent tsunami. "We’re scientists and we’re really proud of our models and our accuracy but we realised after the Chilean tsunami that when we convey this information to the public there is a gap between what we are saying and what is understood," he told BBC News.

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