Warning System

Since the environment in Micronesia is not very well developed from a technological standpoint, the best way to alert the Micronesian people of an approaching tsunami would be through the siren system, outlined by Team 6. When a tsunami is detected, the sirens will go off along the coasts of all of the islands, which will alert all of the people who live on the coast of Micronesia of the impending danger of the tsunami. For more information, please visit their website.

Where We Evacuate From

Once the people hear the alarm, they should be educated enough (based on the efforts of Team 3) that they are prepared for this situation. They will follow our plan of evacuation. Since the islands of Micronesia are very small, we will only be making specific plans for the five biggest islands. These "big" islands of Kosrae, Pohnpei, Yap, Moen, and Tol are only about 10-20 miles across.

Use Your Feet and Don't Panic!

Therefore, even if people on Micronesia do own cars, it makes a lot more sense for them to simply walk inland about 2 miles to be safe from the tsunami. If a few people drive their cars inland for 2 miles, which could take as short as ten minutes, this could create a panic with the rest of the people who don't have cars because they may begin to feel like they are not going to be as safe as the people who can drive inland. However, hopefully these people will realize that they have plenty of time to walk the two miles inland, because even if the tsuanmi occurs very close to the island it can take as short as 20 minutes for the average person to walk inland.

For special cases (elderly and disabled people), cars will be premitted, though we will strongly encourage that people with cars not use them unless assisting others who would otherwise be unable to evacuate.

Buying More Time

The tsunami will also be slowed down even more around the islands of Micronesia because it is surrounded by coral reefs and many tiny islands that are basically uninhabited, which will act as shields and buffers from the full force of the tsunami. The net effect is that the people will have a little extra time to walk inland to safety.

Paths to Follow

When the siren goes off, the evacuees will be following the well kept evacuation routes to the evacuation site. As Micronesia is lacking in asphalt, we will have to cut trails into the low-lying jungle foliage. These trails will have to be maintained regularly based on the growth of the local jungle plants. The purpose of the trails is to facilitate a quick movement of many people from their villages/cities /municipalities to the tsunami evacuation zone. The trails should be large enough to allow passage of the few cars that are present (and wide paths would also make it easier for a large group of people to get to the evacuation site). These paths will be maintained by the government at least once a month so that they remain usable.

Missionaries In Charge

If people are unsure of where to go or feel uncomfortable walking to these zones by themselves, they will report to local churches where the missionaries and preachers will be to help out. These missionaries will then lead groups of people along the evacuation paths and into safety. These missionaries will be trained to be efficient so they do not waste too much time.

Are You Sure We Should Be Walking?

Yes! We believe that it is better to have the people of Micronesia walk inland because time will allow it. Special exceptions will be made for people with disabilities or the very young and the elderly who are unable to walk. In these cases we will have cars provided by the local taxi services that will be at the churches with the missionaries. Some of the missionaries will drive these vehicles to the safety zones.

Should Listen To These Missionaries?

Yes! We also believe that the missionaries can be put as the authority in charge because of the character of the people of Micronesia. The Micronesian people are very cooperative with each other and look at the missionaries as authority figures.