World Tsunami Awareness Day

World Tsunami Awareness Day is November 5th

World Tsunami Awareness Day is designated by the United Nations to bring awareness and build public action to be better prepared for future tsunami impacts. By working together and uniting in this day, nations across the globe can share innovative approaches and create a safer outcome. 

The date for the annual celebration was chosen in honour of the Japanese story of “Inamura-no-hi”, meaning the “burning of the rice sheaves”. During an 1854 earthquake a farmer saw the tide receding, a sign of a looming tsunami. He set fire to his entire harvest to warn villagers, who fled to high ground. Afterwards, he built an embankment and planted trees as a buffer against future waves. (source: un.org/en/events/tsunamiday)