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http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=141209

 

Waves swamp coastal village 

Samantha Rina & Harold Koi 
Tuesday, March 02, 2010 

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Wary watch 

WAVES that struck Tukavesi in Vanua Levu after the cancellation of the tsunami 
warning were secondary tsunami waves. 

Fiji Meteorology Department director Rajendra Prasad said the prediction time they 
had issued for when the tsunami was expected to strike Fiji was also a period of low 
tide. 

"Because the expected tsunami waves were predicted to be about 1.3 meters in height, 
even if it struck it would not have been noticeable because it was low tide then," he 
said. 

Mr Prasad said the waves that affected Tukavesi were incoming secondary waves. 

"By the time the waves started to affect Tukavesi, it was high tide. So the waves were 
already traversing in the waters before it was high tide," he said. 

"By the time the tide was high, the tsunami waves coincided with it, therefore making 
an impact at Tukavesi." 

Mr Prasad said even after a tsunami warning was cancelled, secondary waves usually 
remained in the sea and would only make an impact during high tide, as was the case 
in Tukavesi. 

"So we would advise people to be extra cautious of such activities, especially during 
high tide," he said. 

He said the joint operations center which included the weather office, Mineral 
Resources Department and National Disaster Management Office were responsible 
for issuing tsunami warnings to the public. 

 

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The tsunami caused by the quake that swept across the Pacific killed several people 
on a Chilean island and devastated coastal communities near the epicentre, but caused 
little damage in other countries. 

Chilean authorities said more than 700 people died and rescue efforts were 
continuing.