The idea of such a system happened after the Boxing Day tsunami, which left nearly 200 Finns dead. The preparation of the system began in mid-January 2005. A team of experts in meteorology, oceanography, and movements of the earth’s crust will be monitoring the signs 24 hrs. If they find any possibility of domestic or international natural disaster, they will alert the authorities, who immediately notify the public.
Finnish tourists in effected areas would be warned through text messaging. All mobile phone operators in Finland will locate the device in the areas and send a text message to warn them about a possible tsunami.
The center will be established by the Finnish Meteorological Institute, the Finnish Institute of Marine Research, and the Seismology Department of the University of Helsinki and be located in Helsinki’s Kumpula district.
The latest earthquake in Southeast Asia caused Finns to cancel their vacations in the area. With better equipped system, the travelers will have peace of mind and enjoy their holiday with no hassle.
It is estimated at EUR 1.7 million to set up the system and EUR 1.2 million to run it 24 hours. The warning system will be ready to operate by the year end.
