. ▁Local ▁municipal ▁ag encies ▁regularly ▁carried ▁out ▁annual ▁t sun ami ▁dr ills ▁sim ulating ▁an ▁emer gency . ▁Vol unte ers ▁would ▁close ▁the ▁se aw all ▁gates ▁and ▁residents ▁would ▁go ▁to ▁must er ▁points ▁above ▁the ▁town . ▁The ▁system ▁worked ▁well ▁when ▁a ▁t sun ami ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 ▁Val div ia ▁earth qu ake ▁in ▁Chile ▁struck ▁the ▁town ▁and ▁there ▁was ▁no ▁death ▁reported ▁in ▁Tar ō . ▁▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁T ō h oku ▁earth qu ake ▁and ▁t sun ami ▁ ▁However , ▁the ▁se aw alls ▁failed ▁when ▁t sun ami ▁waves ▁with ▁height ▁estimated ▁to ▁be ▁ ▁to ▁ ▁high ▁struck ▁Tar ō ▁following ▁the ▁earth qu ake ▁and ▁t sun ami ▁on ▁March ▁ 1 1 , ▁ 2 0 1 1 . ▁Sur viv ors ▁said ▁they ▁saw ▁some ▁residents ▁clim b ▁on ▁to ▁the ▁sea ▁def ences ▁to ▁watch ▁the ▁approaching ▁t sun ami ▁only ▁to ▁be ▁swe pt ▁away ▁when ▁the ▁waves ▁went ▁over ▁the ▁wall . ▁Many ▁in ▁the ▁town ▁said ▁they ▁felt ▁the ▁wall ▁l ul led ▁them ▁into ▁a ▁false ▁sense ▁of ▁security . ▁A ▁ ▁section ▁of ▁the ▁se as ide ▁wall ▁was ▁swe pt ▁away ▁by ▁the ▁t sun ami . ▁Lar ge ▁amounts ▁of ▁concrete ▁de br is ▁was ▁left ▁around ▁Tar ō ▁and ▁scattered ▁in ▁its ▁bay . ▁▁ 1 8 1 ▁people ▁were ▁dead ▁or ▁missing ▁in ▁the ▁t sun ami , ▁with ▁nearly