Y~-.

Headquarter~-dnt Task Force STVEN
Arl@ton HL
station
ArlingtonU, Virginia
8 Febzuary1958
Annex M to JTF SEVEN OperationPlan No. 1-58
NATURALDIsASTERPLAN
1. Gi%NEIML
a. The purposeof this plan is to establishresponsibilities
and to set
forth titructiona to all unitsof the task forceto cope with conditionswhich may arise as a reeultof a typhoon or tidal wave. The
intentionis to pmd.de for the preservationof life and property
during the actual courseof the disturbanceand the early restoration of essentialservicesafter it has passed.
b.

In order to provideTG Commanderswith adequateguidsncefor issuance
of their own individualdetaileddisasterplans,more specificinstmctions pertainingto emergencyevacwtion will be publishedas AIKISXN
to this operationPlan.

c. L?efinitions
(1) Twhoon. /4tgphoon is a violentcyclonicstonriof tropicalorigin with wind speeds of sixty-five(65) knots or more. The area
of deetmctive winds within a typhoon is extremelyvariable,
occasionallyas small as a circleof fifty (50) miles in diameter
and, in other cases as large as a circleof 9fJ3miles in diameter.
(2) Tidal Yave. A tidal wave bears no relationto the oceanictides
but ia the result of extremelylarge displacementsof water in
the ocean cauaedby earth slippage. Uost tidal wavm in the
Pacificoriginatein the Gulf of flasks,where earth slippages
are not rare. The av8ragetidal.wave has the followingcharacteristicsin deep water:
Wave length- 100 miles
“Javeheight- 2 to 3 feet in the Marshall Islands
Wave period - 1S to 60 minutes
Wave velocity- 500 knots in deep water.
The destructiveenergy releasedby a tidai wave occurswhen it
entera shallowwater, increasesin height and breakson or near
the slmre line. Destmction associatedwith such a wave is
causad by the rapid rise in water which undexmbes foundations,
cd.lapsesstructuresand drownsperaomel. The difficult
y in
copingwith a tidal wave stcma from the fact that it cannotbe
seen in deep water (the slope is about one (1) foot in 6,OOO
feet or more) and that it moves at such a high rate of speed.
The primarymeans by which the existenceof a tidal wave is
detetined is throughthe observationof etih slippagesby
use of seismographs. A seisnvgraphwarning net exietein the
Pacific and CJTF SEVEN will receivewarnings from CINCPi\C
●r
other Pacific Commandsvia the faatestpossiblemeans. CINCPAC
Inatxuction 34.6, SeismicSea ‘:’ave
(TidalViave
) Warning,disseminatesinstructionsin regard to the tidal wave warning
system in use in the PacifLcarea.
d.

The newer llPacific”
stricturesh the EFC have been designedto tithry buildingfl
stand winds of 105 miles per hour. The so-calledI!multisto
on JANET Island is well constructedand capableof withstanding
typhoon forcee. All wooden structureson the atolls are considered ,

M-1

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