03-16-2011, 12:00 PM
Evacuation seems to me one of those times our government is really trying to do the best for all of us. It hampers the whole effort if there are strays who do their own thing.
The sheep metaphor is interesting. It's when sheep unthinkingly follow other sheep who are being stupid that sheep get in trouble. Thinking that other sheep know something they don't. OTOH, the shepherd ... knows what's best for the sheep, and the sheep do just fine if they follow his guidance.
The worst place to be in a tsunami zone is in a bay, where the wave energy converges. The 1960 wave in Hilo bay was 35 feet. In 1946, Pololu Valley got hit with a 50 foot wave. I could see the part of Kaloli Point that curves around being in some danger. Because the wave is like a change in the sea level, once it gets to the cliffs, the continuing wave could easily surge over the top.
As for Kapoho Bay, we know it is barely sea level. Kapohoites are just lucky that the energy focused on the west side.
I don't think the people making decisions were trying to be over-cautious. I watched the head guy from the tsunami center tell reporters over and over -- look, there are simply not enough islands between Japan and Hawai'i to give us enough info on how to call this.
Speaking of police presence:
I don't see any reports here from Hilo, so I'll give one. I was there, and driving from Waiakea trying to get out of town to the north. I chose Kinoole, and that was the best call for low down, because that's where the roadblocks were. There were officers at EVERY intersection from Waiakea to Ponohawai.
At Ponohawai where it goes one way, I made a left and then zagged right on Kapiolani. At that point there were no cars. I continued across Waianuenue to Kaiulani, then down on Wailuku one block, over the river bridge to Wainaku, and followed Wainaku to the farthest of the two ways to get back to the highway. There were no cars at all. I was surprised. No doubt there was a concentration in old downtown, which I bypassed.
At the re-entry with the highway, there was a roadblock of 3-4 police cars. There were still cars coming from Hilo. Everything going towards Hilo was diverted mauka at that point. Given there were no officers on the route I'd just followed, it might have been confusing to anyone who doesn't know the Wainaku route, like a visitor.
The sheer number of intersections needing control in Hilo probably makes it difficult for them to cover Puna well, which is unfortunate.
"She's got everything she needs, she's an artist, she don't look back." — Dylan
The sheep metaphor is interesting. It's when sheep unthinkingly follow other sheep who are being stupid that sheep get in trouble. Thinking that other sheep know something they don't. OTOH, the shepherd ... knows what's best for the sheep, and the sheep do just fine if they follow his guidance.
The worst place to be in a tsunami zone is in a bay, where the wave energy converges. The 1960 wave in Hilo bay was 35 feet. In 1946, Pololu Valley got hit with a 50 foot wave. I could see the part of Kaloli Point that curves around being in some danger. Because the wave is like a change in the sea level, once it gets to the cliffs, the continuing wave could easily surge over the top.
As for Kapoho Bay, we know it is barely sea level. Kapohoites are just lucky that the energy focused on the west side.
I don't think the people making decisions were trying to be over-cautious. I watched the head guy from the tsunami center tell reporters over and over -- look, there are simply not enough islands between Japan and Hawai'i to give us enough info on how to call this.
Speaking of police presence:
I don't see any reports here from Hilo, so I'll give one. I was there, and driving from Waiakea trying to get out of town to the north. I chose Kinoole, and that was the best call for low down, because that's where the roadblocks were. There were officers at EVERY intersection from Waiakea to Ponohawai.
At Ponohawai where it goes one way, I made a left and then zagged right on Kapiolani. At that point there were no cars. I continued across Waianuenue to Kaiulani, then down on Wailuku one block, over the river bridge to Wainaku, and followed Wainaku to the farthest of the two ways to get back to the highway. There were no cars at all. I was surprised. No doubt there was a concentration in old downtown, which I bypassed.
At the re-entry with the highway, there was a roadblock of 3-4 police cars. There were still cars coming from Hilo. Everything going towards Hilo was diverted mauka at that point. Given there were no officers on the route I'd just followed, it might have been confusing to anyone who doesn't know the Wainaku route, like a visitor.
The sheer number of intersections needing control in Hilo probably makes it difficult for them to cover Puna well, which is unfortunate.
"She's got everything she needs, she's an artist, she don't look back." — Dylan