Disaster forecast center

[Meso]

This is the biggest waste of money ever, the line about predicting earthquakes and tornadoes 5 days in advance made me laugh... Wonder if the public is that gullable... Everyone knows a tornado can't be forecast days ahead,they aren't going to have any more resources than the local weather station will,so even predicting thunderstorms won't change anything... Grinds my gears >_< (added: South Africa gets no disasters at all,the rare fire...no earthquakes,hardly ever tornadoes,never hurricanes...)




Zinkie Sithole

Nelspruit - Plans are underway to build a state-of-the-art centre in Mpumalanga to detect natural disasters up to five days in advance, said local government and housing spokesperson Simphiwe Kunene on Tuesday.

He said engineers had completed the architectural and structural drawings for the disaster management centre, and that a site had been identified in Nelspruit.

"We hope to start construction late this financial year if the funds are secured from the treasury," he said.

He said the department had asked the provincial treasury for R23.2m to start with phase one of construction, which would be completed by 2008.

The entire centre is expected to cost R39m by the time it's completed in 2009 - just in time for the 2010 Soccer World Cup.

Emergency call-in system

"The centre won't focus on natural disasters only but, for example, also on large events that draw crowds and where an accident might take place," he said.

Nelspruit will host some of the 2010 soccer games.

Kunene said the centre would have its own emergency call-in system.

He said it would be equipped to detect natural disasters in time to evacuate people and send aid.

He said disasters like the earthquake that rocked Mozambique early this year and the tornado that struck Delmas last week would be detected three to five days in advance.

A 10-minute storm in Delmas resulted in 11 people being injured. About 20 houses were damaged and roofs were torn from schools and shops

http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Afri ... 31,00.html