The current tsunami histories for Alaska and Hawaii are inadequate for making decisions on tsunami warnings, inundation mapping and other tsunami mitigation measures. The errors introduced through repeated compilations, the omissions of detail in ensuing recompilations, the limitations due to the scope and purposes of the ordinal compilations and subsequent studies, and the original material overlooked and omitted from each compilation all combine to obscure the real nature of the hazard. This project, together with work that is being done on the West Coast tsunami experience, will provide a data base that substantially covers the U.S. tsunami history and provide a useful tool for research and revision of inundation maps, warning systems, and other mitigation efforts with significant safety and financial implications. It will also be a contribution to the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction.
