Response of Residents at the Moment of Tsunamis-The 1992 Flores Island Earthquake Tsunami, Indonesia-

Abstract

The number of loss of lives due to the 1992 Flores island tsunamis was about 1,000. The maximum tsunami runup height 26.2m was measured at Kroko. At Babi island, reflected tsunami with the height of 5 to 7m attached two villages so that every structure was broken and swept away. At Waring, mooring fishing boats were easily carried to the dense-housing areas by tsunamis so that wooden-made houses were swept away by dominos. Through the questionnaire, tsunami characteristics and residents’ behavior are also described. Most residents have no information on tsunamis. After looking at tsunami coming, they run away to safe places. Therefore, the disaster weak such as children and old people might fell victim to the tsunami disaster. As disaster lessons, spread of tsunami information such as local tsunami characteristics and refuge programs are very important to mitigate the damages in tsunami-prone areas.