Yes, and the hardest hit island, Sri Lanka is small enough to use this type of warning for the entire island. But the cost involved setting up an entire network of warning systems is more than most of these places could afford. Without some sort of communication network or centralized activation system, localized, secluded areas still wouldn't know when to sound an alarm until it was almost too late.

A warning system could have helped tremendously though. In some cases even 10 minutes warning could have saved lives. That's enough time to evacuate the beach, move to higher floors of a hotel, seek any sort of refuge, etc. These people were completely taken by surprise.

The most devastating part of the tragedy is the number of small children who have lost their entire family.

A siren is hardly going to help. We're talking about a planned global communication system here. You'll have to have some kind of system whereby you contact the local authorities, they set off a network of sirens, take over the local media. It's not an easy task and it will require millions (if not billions) of dollars to implement such an infrastructure.

Probably billions and years. Solve the problem, no, but you can't say it wouldn't help as a short term solution.

A siren isn't even a short-term solution, you have to have communication networks set up within these countries to turn the sirens on. You can't go round phoning every local hotel saying "Ok, there's a tsunami coming, get all your guests to high land away from the coast". This would take too long to do and also be open to abuse...

These countries as just too poor for such advanced means.

It's really a terrible thing, they also expect the death toll to rise dramatically due to waterborne diseases. =' ( . I'm pretty upset at the fact that the US isn't doing it's best to help out.

I'm not American but I wonder how you know US is not doing "it's best" and exactly what do you mean by "it's best"?

In the Indian ocean, they didnt have any warnings aboyt the wave, but in the pacific they did

I am an American, and as citizen I feel the US isn't given it's best to support the crisis. As AN-NET said, the entire funds provided by the US were surpassed by the makers of Viagra, which is absurd IMO. And I'm not one of those Bush haters who blame everything on him, I feel the US as a whole isn't up to par in helping with the crisis.


It's best, is exactly what it states. A sexual enchancement company giving more money than the United States is not it's best.

I hope I didn't offend anyone, because that's wasn't my intention.

I agree with you entirely pseudo_class, the british government over here was shamed by the public too. Our prime minister is on holiday in Egypt, soaking up the sun, whilst the country is left to run itself at this time of need to help others! The government here first pledged £15million, and within an hour of the major UK charity opening, the public alone had donated over £25million. So the governement shamed as they were have now donated £50million.