Although no one knows exactly when floating debris generated by the March 2010 tsunami that struck Japan will reach Alaska beaches in significant amounts, but it will likely be sooner than first anticipated.
Already non-governmental groups in Alaska have begun to prepare for the eventuality. The Peninsula Clarion reports that a full accounting of what washes up will depend a great deal on volunteer eyes now being sought.
Patrick Chandler, special programs director for The Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies (CACS) in Homer, says it's not a matter of 'if' tsunami debris shows up on the Kenai Peninsula, it's 'when' and 'how much'. Debris is expected to wash up as far north in Cook Inlet as Kenai, perhaps even Nikiski, he said.
"Some of our best eyes out there are going to be people who know their beaches well," he said. "People who can walk down to a beach, look around and say, 'This is how it usually looks,' or, 'Oh, there's a lot more stuff here than usual.'"
Chandler encourages people who may already be beachcombing or walking the shoreline to help.
He says if something out of the ordinary is found, its GPS coordinates should be recorded, lots of photos should be taken, and that plus a brief report of the suspected tsunami debris should be sent to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration at disasterdebris(at)noaa.org.
"If it looks like it is something safe to pick up and you don't mind picking up, like a giant Styrofoam buoy, then yeah, take it off the beach so it doesn't float out again," he said. "If it looks like something that's a little sketchy, like a 50-gallon drum leaking something, then maybe you don't pick it up and just report it."
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