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Tsunami Awareness Week 
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WHEREAS, on December 26, 2004 a great earthquake off the coast of Sumatra caused a massive tsunami along Indian Ocean coastlines, killing approximately 230,000 people. The events of that day over four years ago reminded the world how much destruction tsunamis can cause.
WHEREAS, on Good Friday, March 27, 1964, the strongest earthquake ever recorded in North America struck northwestern Prince William Sound, 75 miles east of Anchorage. This quake produced immediate and lasting changes across 100,000 square miles of the state of Alaska. The shaking caused a series of destructive tsunamis that claimed the lives of 106 people, and reshaped the social and economic structure of many Alaskan coastal communities.
WHEREAS, as one of the world’s most seismically active regions, many of Alaska’s coastal communities are vulnerable to tsunamis.
WHEREAS, in response to the events of 1964, NOAA's West coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center was established in 1967. Today, the center issues tsunami advisories and warnings for the east and west coasts of the United States and Canada, as well as for the Gulf of Mexico coast and for Puerto Rico. The center is manned around the clock.
WHEREAS, through a collaborative program involving federal, state, and local officials, several Alaskan coastal communities are recognized today as “TsunamiReady.” The TsunamiReady program promotes tsunami hazard preparedness and community awareness, and efforts are underway to help more communities become TsunamiReady.
WHEREAS, all coastal Alaskan communities are encouraged to plan for tsunamis and to respond swiftly and appropriately to tsunami warnings.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Sarah Palin, Governor of the state of Alaska, do hereby proclaim March 22 – 28, 2009 as:
Tsunami Awareness Week
in Alaska, and I urge all citizens to prepare for tsunami hazards as we remember those who have lost their lives and property to tsunamis.
Dated: January 16, 2009