West Coast at risk from disasters as warning systems go dark in DAYS

"The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has cut funding for nine seismic stations in Alaska which act as an early warning system for tsunamis that could flood states like California, Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii. These nine Alaska sensors have helped protect the whole Pacific side of the US since the late 1990s, detecting major earthquakes that can trigger giant ocean waves which can strike areas hundreds or even thousands of miles away."

"The Alaska Earthquake Center (AEC) had requested funding for the tsunami monitors through 2028, but NOAA denied the request in late September. The nine stations, which are scattered across Alaska's Aleutian Islands and the Bering Sea, will now go offline at the end of November. Without them, warnings could come minutes later than they normally would, which might not leave enough time for people to get to safety."

NOAA eliminated funding for nine seismic stations in Alaska that serve as tsunami early-warning sensors for the US Pacific coast. The sensors, located across the Aleutian Islands and the Bering Sea, have provided protection for California, Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii since the late 1990s by detecting major earthquakes that can generate distant tsunamis. NOAA refused an AEC funding request to cover the monitors through 2028 and removed the $300,000 needed to operate them. The stations will go offline at the end of November, potentially delaying warnings by minutes and reducing evacuation time. The AEC lacks funds to continue operations, no replacement network is ready, and there is no solid backup plan; Senator Lisa Murkowski has called for a funding-review and restoration of real-time monitoring.

Read at Mail Online