NOAA Successfully Rescued the System That Alerts America About Tsunamis — Discover Why It Was on the Brink of Failure - video Dailymotion

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A crucial funding agreement has been reached between NOAA and the University of Alaska Fairbanks Alaska Earthquake Center, bringing back nine vital seismic monitoring stations after a period of uncertainty that almost left the Pacific coast of America without early tsunami warnings. This agreement, which takes effect on March 1, 2026, ensures continuous monitoring, data quality checks, and emergency response for stations that are particularly important in the Aleutian Islands. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan emphasized that this restoration is vital for the safety of Alaskans and the broader Pacific region, including the US West Coast.

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00:00America almost lost the warning system that stands between a Pacific tsunami.

00:04And millions of lives. And almost no one knew.

00:08For months, nine critical seismic monitoring stations along Alaska's Aleutian Islands were at risk of going offline.

00:15The reason? Federal funding uncertainty threatened the University of Alaska Fairbanks' ability to keep them running.

00:22The facility that issues life-or-death alerts for Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, and the entire Pacific Basin,

00:30In the Aleutians, tsunamis can arrive in minutes after a major quake.

00:34Without these stations, there would be no warning at all.

00:37On March 1, NOAA and the University of Alaska Fairbanks reached a last-minute agreement to fund 24-7 operations,

00:46emergency response, and quality control for all nine stations.

00:51Senators Murkowski and Sullivan called it essential.

00:54What they did not say publicly, but what the timeline makes clear,

00:58is how close America came to watching this system go dark.

01:02The question is not just whether the warning network is back.

01:05It's whether the funding fight is truly over.

01:08The question is not just about the pressure.

NOAA Successfully Rescued the System That Alerts America About Tsunamis — Discover Why It Was on the Brink of Failure

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