How to Survive Almost Anything: The Special Forces Guide to Staying Alive by Ollie Ollerton

Author:Ollie Ollerton
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781788705004
Publisher: Blink Publishing

Tsunamis

A tidal wave, otherwise known by the Japanese word tsunami, happens when an earthquake erupts under the sea or when the side of a volcano collapses into the ocean, creating a monstrous wave that moves rapidly, breaking on the nearest landmass. Tsunamis can reach more than 30 metres high. On 26 December 2004 when an earthquake struck with a magnitude of 9.1 off the coast of Sumatra it birthed several tsunamis which rushed across the Indian Ocean, striking India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and the Maldives. Some 200,000 people tragically lost their lives.

Tsunamis move incredibly quickly, at the same pace as a jet plane. At first, the wave may be small in height but hundreds of miles wide. Just before it makes landfall, the wave hits the shallow water surrounding a landmass and jacks up into the air.

How to survive a tsunami

Since 2004, tsunami warning systems have been much improved, so authorities now know of a tsunami in advance of it hitting. Tsunamis are preceded by earthquakes, so if you’re on the coast, you need to find higher ground to ride out the tremors and before the wave arrives. Beware of the sea disappearing on the horizon as if it is being sucked away as it might just seem like the tide is changing from high to low.

The volume of water and detritus a tsunami brings with it is appalling; even the best swimmers shouldn’t entertain delusions about swimming it. Sometimes tsunamis make a screaming sound, other times they are deathly silent. If you’re on the beach and you hear this noise and see the ocean receding, leaving bare sand and exposed reef in its wake, this is the time you must race as quickly as you can to higher ground. Don’t stop to collect anything but your family from the beach.

More than likely, it won’t just be one wave, there will be sustained attacks of successive waves and the water will keep on rising. Again, don’t wait for the emergency authorities to tell you there’s an emergency, don’t wait for the sirens, just follow your instinct. You need to be at least 30 metres above sea level to escape the destruction of a killer wave. If you’re unlucky enough to be on a flat island, you need to find the tallest building possible.

Volcanoes

According to the World Health Organization, a volcano is a ‘vent in the earth’s crust from which eruptions occur’. There are about 1,500 active volcanoes worldwide which affect 6.2 million people. It’s not just the lava which seeps from the crater of a volcano which is dangerous, some spew dangerous gases, ash and exploding rocks into the air. Erupting volcanoes can also cause floods, landslides and mudslides if accompanied by rain, snow and melting ice. Depending on how close to the eruption you are, falling ash can cause respiratory diseases, as can inhalation of poisonous gases and fumes. You can also suffer eye and skin irritation caused by acid rain. There is also the danger of getting burnt or seriously injured from rockfalls.

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