# Tsunami Coverage **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 27, 2010, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tsunami-coverage/530693 "2010-02-27T22:14:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tsunami-coverage/530693/21 "2010-02-28T01:42:56Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > Since it’s quite common to refer to yard/feet/inches as the ‘English’ system of weights & Measures, that’s a perfectly reasonable question. > > You didn’t really have any difficulty understanding what was being asked, did you? Since they no longer use that system in England, I’d say that it’s a stretch. But more importantly, how do you get out of fourth grade without knowing how big a meter is? ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tsunami-coverage/530693/22 "2010-02-28T02:10:15Z")
So far it seems that the Island of Juan Fernandez (Robinson Crusoe Island) 400 miles (650 km) west of Chile, got the blunt of it. [http://picasaweb.google.com/lester.ah/Tsunami#5443068199307238930](http://picasaweb.google.com/lester.ah/Tsunami#5443068199307238930) (the “after” photos start at #5) Reports are coming from other Spanish speaking forums in Chile that tsunamis seriously damaged other coastal cities in Chile. > **[Chile earthquake update: At least 2 million affected, president says - CNN.com](http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/02/27/chile.quake.ticker/)** > > 12:56 p.m. -- More than 300 people have been confirmed dead in the quake, according to Chile's Office of Emergency Management. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tsunami-coverage/530693/23 "2010-02-28T02:30:23Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > It’s 9 meters? :eek: No, it’s 9 _metres_. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![LateComer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b5ac83/32.png) [@LateComer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LateComer)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tsunami-coverage/530693/24 "2010-02-28T02:36:21Z")
> [@DanBlather](#): > > But more importantly, how do you get out of fourth grade without knowing how big a meter is? It’s just an estimate anyway so just translate to yards (God help you if you can’t convert from yards to feet). You guys are lucky. We knocked our cable down to just local channels but we do get Fox news. While there was a shot of people on a cliff high above the shoreline I had to hear the anchor repeatedly lament that those people were flaunting the danger by being in the path of the tsunami. The other Fox guy gently let her know that they weren’t in harm’s way and the Congressman from Hawaii had to explain to her why there were sailboats were out on the ocean. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tsunami-coverage/530693/25 "2010-02-28T04:23:13Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Of course, if they read your sentence, those people might also think that Baja is in the US state of California. > > It’s not Baja, CA. > > It’s Baja California (no comma). Knew it was wrong when I posted it, then got distracted and neglected to edit. Gaudere’s Law strikes again. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tsunami-coverage/530693/26 "2010-02-28T04:25:18Z")
> [@DanBlather](#): > > Since they no longer use that system in England, I’d say that it’s a stretch. Oh dear. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tsunami-coverage/530693/27 "2010-02-28T04:33:04Z")
It just plowed into an island off Japan. It was almost 4 inches high. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tsunami-coverage/530693/28 "2010-02-28T04:42:30Z")
Whew. So can we get back to worrying about the Chileans now? The reporters seem to have kind of lost sight of them in all the non-reporting about the tsunami non-impact all over the Pacific Rim. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tsunami-coverage/530693/29 "2010-02-28T05:33:48Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > No, it’s 9 _metres_. 😛 You got me, in USA it’s meters, but in Britain it’s metres (maybe). So which English is it in? Trick question! No fair! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tsunami-coverage/530693/30 "2010-02-28T05:36:02Z")
> [@LateComer](#): > > It’s just an estimate anyway so just translate to yards (God help you if you can’t convert from yards to feet). > > You guys are lucky. We knocked our cable down to just local channels but we do get Fox news. While there was a shot of people on a cliff high above the shoreline I had to hear the anchor repeatedly lament that those people were flaunting the danger by being in the path of the tsunami. The other Fox guy gently let her know that they weren’t in harm’s way and the Congressman from Hawaii had to explain to her why there were sailboats were out on the ocean. Yup. Those boats are far far safer on the sea, then in the harbor (tsunami means harbor wave). It’s when the water runs out of open ocean, that it does its damage. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tsunami-coverage/530693/31 "2010-02-28T06:21:27Z")
Even then, a lot of people think a tsunami is a giant curling surf wave when it’s more like high tide RIGHTNOW that then sweeps pretty much everything out to sea when it ebbs. Those photos of Juan Fernandez are sobering. The befores show an active tourist harbor area. The afters show bare ground with debris scattered around. Almost NOTHING that was in that harbor area before the tsunami is still standing in one piece, from what I could see of the photos. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tsunami-coverage/530693/32 "2010-02-28T12:00:47Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > Since it’s quite common to refer to yard/feet/inches as the ‘English’ system of weights & Measures, that’s a perfectly reasonable question. > > You didn’t really have any difficulty understanding what was being asked, did you? > [@DanBlather](#): > > Since they no longer use that system in England, I’d say that it’s a stretch. But more importantly, how do you get out of fourth grade without knowing how big a meter is? No, actually, “English” really is the official name of that family of units, whether they’re still used in England or not. It’s not a “stretch”, it’s the actual name. As for getting out of fourth grade without knowing how big a meter is - back when I was in school no knowledge of metric units was required until high school science classes, and even then it was only about half of what we were doing as we learned a lot of stuff in English first then converted it to metric. It wouldn’t surprise me if some people still managed to get through school these days while remaining blissfully ignorant of the metric system. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tsunami-coverage/530693/33 "2010-02-28T13:03:22Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > and even then it was only about half of what we were doing as we learned a lot of stuff in English first then converted it to metric. The vast majority of times, someone not knowing how big a meter is would say “what is that in feet”. I have never, ever heard anyone else use the phrase “in English” to refer the US measurement system. First of all, since the foot-pound-second system is the default in the US, we rarely need to describe it at all. When we do, we say the English system or English units. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tsunami-coverage/530693/34 "2010-02-28T15:33:25Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > Yup. > > Those boats are far far safer on the sea, then in the harbor (tsunami means harbor wave). It’s when the water runs out of open ocean, that it does its damage. And that is why during the outwards leg of our Caribbean cruise 5 FEB - 14 FEB when we were transiting in 122 mile per hour winds, we had 3-5 meter [yard] seas with an occasional 7 meter/yard ‘7th wave’ that barely inconvenienced us [well we don’t get seasick… can’t vouch for others] I think the ship [Explorer of the Seas] had more issue with the wind pressure against the side of the vessel than the actual waves. She is a very stable vessel and designed to be that way. I do know they di have the stabilizers deployed at one point in time, which slowed her down from 20 knots to 18 knots for a few hours. it was fun when the Captain had her cranking at 23 knots to make up time after dawn. Wheeee! [though I am glad we did not have one or the forward facing balcony staterooms!] ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tsunami-coverage/530693/35 "2010-02-28T17:25:47Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > No, actually, “English” really is the official name of that family of units, whether they’re still used in England or not. It’s not a “stretch”, it’s the actual name. Actually, those non-metric units are referred to in England, and in most places outside of North America, as the Imperial System of measurement. It’s a more accurate term, as it reflects the changes to the old English system made by the British Weights and Measures Act of 1824. ---
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tsunami-coverage/530693/36 "2010-02-28T18:07:36Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > It makes sense when you realize that, when talking about geographical location, bajo/baja also means “lower.” Darn librul Mexicans use too many synonyms. No wonder nobody can understand 'em. Chile is part of Mexico, right? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![fuzzypickles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9d8465/32.png) [@fuzzypickles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fuzzypickles)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tsunami-coverage/530693/37 "2010-02-28T18:21:05Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > It just plowed into an island off Japan. It was almost 4 inches high. Is there any video online showing the tsunami as it struck Japan? (Or Hawaii, or California…) I’ve gotta know what a 4-inch tsunami looks like. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tsunami-coverage/530693/38 "2010-02-28T18:29:41Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > Those boats are far far safer on the sea, then in the harbor (tsunami means harbor wave). . Yes, it does, which is why Tidal wave is just as accurate- or just as inaccurate. Yes, Tidal Waves are not caused by tides. They do occur in tidal areas. Tsunami do not occur only in harbors. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tsunami-coverage/530693/39 "2010-02-28T19:10:50Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > Wheeee! [though I am glad we did not have one or the forward facing balcony staterooms!] I hate that word: I always read it as “stater rooms”. ---
**Author:** ![constanze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@constanze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/constanze)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tsunami-coverage/530693/40 "2010-02-28T19:38:55Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > Watch television news much? > > Media is about hype, looks, ratings and ego. It long ago ceased to be about anything substantial where reporters were hired for their intelligence, news-gathering expertise, fact checking, and the ability to write a coherent and grammatically correct sentence or three. And all of that under pressure much of the time. As long as you keep in mind that this sorry state of affairs is not an universal property of the news system, but rather a big problem in the US. Other countries do have qualified reporters and journalists, foreign reporters who stay in one area for months and years to get in-depth coverage and understanding (instead of one slob being put on a plane after something has happened, who doesn’t know anything about the region, or speak the local language). And if somebody calls themselves a science reporter/ journalist, they better have either a science education in their background, or read extensively. For example, Ranga Yogeshwar went to University and got a degree in Science before he added journalism and went to TV; Hademar Bankhofer doesn’t have medical background, but reads so extensively the different journals and abstracts and talked to so many doctors that they awarded him a honorary degree in recognition of how much benefit his laymen’s (and cheery: he’s old-style Austrian, with charm and nice manners) advices and tips on healthy life-style has done for the population. Sorry, carry on with the main pitting, but this is a pet peeve of mine, to assume that because US journalism is mainly bad, that all journalists or TV reports are bad and not reliable. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tsunami-coverage/530693.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tsunami-coverage/530693.md?page=3)