Phuket tsunami evacuation routes under full review

By The Phuket News

 

A tsunami - evacuation sign near Bangla Rd, Patong, is held in place by being tucked into cables. Photo: Tanyaluk Sakoot
 

PHUKET: Tsunami evacuation routes for the popular tourist beaches at Patong, Kamala, Kata and Karon, and elsewhere in Phuket’s main coastal areas, are undergoing a full review. The move comes in the wake of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck the Indonesian island of Sulawesi on Sept 28, leaving nearly 2,000 people dead, some 5,000 believed missing and more than 74,000 homeless.

 

Phuket Governor Phakaphong Tavipatana ordered for the evacuation routes in main beach areas to be revised and new maps drawn up last Thursday (Oct 4).

 

The moves also follows a call last Thursday by an expert who helped to create the Phuket’s tsunami-warning system to fully review the system (see story here).

 

Full story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-tsunami-evacuation-routes-under-full-review-68967.php#KVof26f3ie1zakyB.97

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-10-13

 

 

Man what a long story.

 

I hope to read: 'the Thai tsunami warningsystems were tested and worked correctly'. period.

 

 

They should also consider some solar powered illuminated signs.
I guess the worst that can happen if a tsunami arrives in the middle of the night.
Also they should use massive high-rise buildings as quick evacuation space in the upper floors.

The current routes in the event of a tsunami are hopeless and I have first-hand experience of this..........

 

Around six or seven years ago there was a minor earthquake nearby which one could feel quite easily, with  

a few after-shocks and I was out around the area of Banzaan market and the panic which had set in was quite noticeable because they were shoes and shopping bags just dropped on the ground whilst people were fleeing towards higher ground.

 

The problem was that the evacuation route was along a road which ran north and south of Patong and it was absolutely jampacked with cars, motorbikes, trucks, and anything else you could mention; in fact it was at a standstill and had there been a large tsunami, because this was still on fairly level ground, it's quite possible that most of the folk on this road would have been killed........... along with me, because I was stuck in the jam!!

 

Very poorly thought out IMO.

Why, they claimed everything was hunky dory just last week.

 

Of course we new the reality of the situation.