Just can't hold my tongue any more. A few letters are just beyond reason: "Kula is well-protected from natural disasters" (Nov. 7), "Process of predicting tsunamis needs improving" (Nov. 8) and "No need for tsunami warning sirens Upcountry" (Nov. 5).
Are you kidding? The sirens warn of an impending problem.
Do you really think a big tsunami isn't going to affect Kula? Where do you think your power comes from? Where are the majority of stores and the ports? And what about the folks displaced by a big event like that? Still think it won't affect you? It could take weeks to even get help if you needed it.
No floods? Water runs downhill, floods can come from a torrential downpour up the slopes. Does the flood of 2008 ring a bell? I'm sure there are a few people who wish that we were immune to floods. Guess again.
As for other types of disasters, it's not if but when. We are way overdue. For instance, how do you think all the islands got those cliffs on the north side of their shores? The seafloor cracked up and small sections of the plates tilted. And did you know that Haleakala is not dead but dormant? That means she is still alive. I guess ignorance is bliss; so there are at least a few real blissful people around here. Scary, if you ask me.
Mahalo to Civil Defense and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Job well done.
Thomas Rice
Kula
