Tsunami debris: No ‘island’ but chunks of debris headed our way
Tsunami debris don’t sound particularly threatening, unless a Texas-sized mass of it is headed toward the U.S. West Coast.
An inconspicuous map from the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration posted in September sparked fears of a monstrous island of debris set adrift by the 2011 Japan tsunami. And if you look at the most recent NOAA graphic, it certainly seems like there’s an intimidating mass lingering between Hawaii and California.
There’s debris but “no solid mass,” NOAA said Tuesday. Although there are leftovers from the storm in the Pacific Ocean, there’s nothing large enough to justify an emergency response.
NOAA said we can expect scattered debris to continue to wash up. And the graphic, the agency clarified, represents the “overall spread of all simulated debris,” not one colossal mass.
Twitter: @mlittledc
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