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In addition to warning time (see illustration above), the study identified the zones most likely to be impacted by
tsunamis on Wallis, Futuna and the smaller island of Alofi. As most of the population lives a few metres above
sea level, inundation can be catastrophic. A red zone, indicating high relative tsunami hazard, was identified
along the coasts separating Futuna and Alofi where the channel amplifies wave height, puffing the Futuna
airport runway at risk.
Relative tsunami hazard at Futuna from the estimated likely maximum wave height.
The Administration of Wallis and Futuna was quick to use the results generated by the study to update their
tsunami preparedness plan and improve their early warning system, securing additional tsunami sirens for
example. Similarly, the territory launched a community preparedness and evacuation program which benefited
from the extensive data emerging from this study. Under this initiative, the location of evacuation routes and
shelters were revised based to take into account risky zones.
While the studies were acknowledged to be useful, scientists noted some limitations such as the lack of
precision on the seafloor topography, in particular the very shallow, intertidal depths ( <10m). In the same
vein, factors such as population and infrastructure distribution were not included in the present study which
focused on the tsunami hazard. The inclusion of such data will continue to strengthen the territory's capacity
to mitigate the risk of tsunami.
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