Tsunami drills

The rains are well and truly here. It poured most of the night and right up to lunch time. We'd heard sirens and loudspeakers close to the house all morning, and also in town at lunch time, but weren't sure what they were for.

Had lunch at KEMRI, catching up with some people I'd worked with previously. The cause of the sirens became clear over lunch - all the talk was of the tsunami due to hit the coast in the late afternoon. Houses had been evacuated and people were being warned to keep away from the beaches. The mamas at the orphanage had long debates about how they'd protect the kids and themselves if big waves came.

It wasn't until someone did a little internet detective work that we realised it was a drill - 18 countries were participating in a Tsunami Early Warning Test. Apparently some of the radio stations had been letting people know this, but there was certainly no indication of it from the loudspeakers, who repeated their warning messages into the evening.

The kids came today with their rain coats and broken umbrellas, and had a ball with the whistling lollipops we bought them.