Anyone know what the Tsunami alert is for the Indian Ocean? (Koh Samui)

[duchesse]

Thailand appears to have stepped down its tsunami warnings but my sister lives on Koh Samui in the Indian Ocean and am worried and she is not returning texts. The chances are they're fine but does anyone know how to get hold of specific information? Or has anyone heard from relatives or friends out there?

some info here but basic

weather centre here

I hope you manage to get in touch soon

Koh Samui isn't in the Indian Ocean and the Philippines and Vietnam are in the way of any tsunami. She's probably having a mai tai on the beach watching the sunset. I live in Singapore and my new house is being built on Koh Samui - please don't worry, she's nowhere near the earthquake or tsunami and will get back to you soon I'm sure.

That's good to know lolly, I hope you're right. Whatever that bit of sea is called, I daresay the wave's not going to stop just because it's reached the edge of the Indian Ocean. Have you had any large waves off the coast of Singapore? Koh Samui is not very high as you know.

Most reports seem to suggest that the waves coming aground now are under 50cm.

No waves in Singapore - Japan is 6 hours away by plane (and nearly 5 hours away from Koh Samui)- it's like the UK being worried about a tsunami in Dubai. When the tsunami hit Taiwan (about an hour from Japan by plane), there wasn't much of a wave.

Although a wave wouldn't stop because it's reached the edge of a different ocean, it can't travel over land masses and there are plenty of these between the epicentre and Koh Samui.

Loopy do you realise they have issued tsunami warnings for the coast of mainland US? They simply have no idea how far the tsunami will travel and how quickly the energy from it will dissipate.

Sorry - lolly.

Yes, but there's very little land between Japan and the US to block the wave. The tsunami has just reached Hawaii (halfway between Japan and the US) and it was thankfully only 50cm high. It will probably only be a few cm by the time it reaches mainland US.

I agree that it's very unpredictable but there is no way the tsunami will reach the Gulf of Thailand, hope you hear from your sister soon. What part of KS is she btw? I was there last week and it's such a gorgeous place.

Communications will be down, duchesse she may not be contactable if she is preparing. Sorry. This bbc page has a map / warnings www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12714558

There is another thread going, but I'll post this here too

Chile www.weather.gov/ptwc/

Ah, this is reassuring for me at least.

Although according to that map it looks like Singapore is on the 9 hour line!

Sorry but Singapore and Koh Samui are not on that image, let alone on any line!!! Please take a look at a map so you can see where these places are and you can reassure yourself that your sister is in no danger from a tsunami.

lolly- really? Not even right on the left-hand side?

Looking closely, Singapore is kind of on the very edge of the right hand side but Koh Samui is further west. Besides, all the dark blue area on the map (west of the Philippines) is tsunami height 0.00 - 0.01m according to the key.

Can understand the US taking precautions but even with the green areas of the map, they should only get waves of up to 25cm. I think Hawaii just blinked and missed their tsunami according to the news reports and images. Thank goodness it's all dissipating quickly but a terrible terrible tragedy for Japan.

Off to bed now, sure your sister will get back to you and she will be fine.

Hi Duchesse, my father is also on Koh Samui and I haven't been able to contact him, but I did follow the link to the FCO and according to their webpage written following todays earthquake in Japan, (I'm cutting and pasting here) ' A DESTRUCTIVE TSUNAMI WAS NOT GENERATED BASED ON EARTHQUAKE AND
HISTORICAL TSUNAMI DATA. THIS EARTHQUAKE IS LOCATED TOO DEEP
INSIDE THE EARTH TO GENERATE A TSUNAMI IN THE INDIAN OCEAN.'
I'm now reassured myself. Hope you are too
(visit www.weather.gov/ptwc/?region=3) for the full report
Sarah

none. we are even closer in hk and its not coming this way but rippling south east through the pacific.

Hi Everyone, I have just received an email from my daughter who is holidaying on Koh Samui. She was a wee tad worried about the tsunami as she is currently staying in a bamboo hut, not 30 metres from the waters edge. Everything appears to be ok with her, however, there is a big storm brewing which maybe interfering with communications. I have passed on the information I have gleaned from your conversations and my thanks go to you all. I hope I too have been of some help to those of you still waiting to hear from your loved ones.
Mark......

Thank you very much sloaner and everyone, that's reassuring! It usually is a storm/internet problems disrupting communications.

Sarah, I think that info you posted is related to a much lesser quake off and deep below the coast of Bali- I found that information message as well!