https://abcnews.go.com/International/indonesias-tsunami-early-warning-system-worked-2012-official/story?id=59998468
Now theres a report that the Tsunami warning system has not worked since 2012.
More exactly, that there is no working warning system for non-earthquake related tsunamis, such as from underwater landslides as seems to have happened here.
It's possible no useful warning would be possible for a tsunami generated so close to shore, since by the time the alert is issued the tsunami will have already come ashore. This seems similar to the 1975 tsunami that killed two campers in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. That was caused by a sudden slide of land recently created by lava flows, that came loose from older flows. Since the tsunami started right off shore, there was almost no time to warn anybody. The low death toll probably was because there was hardly anybody in the vicinity, rather than the quality of the warning system.
Hawaii has a well-developed tsunami warning system. But it's geared to tsunamis triggered by distant earthquakes like in Japan, Alaska, and Chile. That allows plenty of time to figure out whether a tsunami is coming and issue warnings, and for people to get away from the ocean.
One practical pointer -- if a local earthquake strikes while you're at the beach, run like hell inland and onto higher ground, don't wait for sirens or other telltale signs of an imminent tsunami.
