I was impressed with the tsunami warning system in Japan - at least for the towns where it did work. This video shows it clearly in action ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=2uJN3Z1ryck

This warning system saved a LOT of lives. However, you not only need to have the warning system in place, you also need citizens who beleive it and act immediately.

RE The BIG ONE In L.A.: I have been doing a lot of fact checking and background research. The best logic I can come up with today is the following ... the southern section of the San Andreas is probably at highest risk. That puts Los Angeles & Palm Springs directly in the crosshairs. The most likely timing is sometime in the next 4-5 years, and highly likely within the next 20 years. That is based on earthquake frequencies. There is no agreement at all on the possible size of the quake. But I think it is overly optimisitic to conclude that it won't be bigger than an 8.0. A lot of people around here seem to believe that, but I remain unconvinced. My main concern is that there have been several huge quakes over the last 6-7 years on different sides of the Pacific Plate (tectonic plate). It seems entirely plausible that we could experience something quite similar in So. California. The only redeeming feature is that our fault line is on land and it is not a subduction zone (it is a strike-slip fault line). So the chances of a huge tsunami are reduced, but I can't rule it out.

The probable location for a big tsunami on the West Coast is in Oregon or Washington State, and also in Alaska. They have major fault lines that are subduction zones located under the ocean, and relatively close to the coast. Those are the cities that need to implement a Japan-style tsunami system. But will they?

other Pete