Virgin Islands residents are invited to improve their readiness for earthquake and tsunami events by joining the regional Caribe Wave exercise taking place on Thursday March 11.

Occurring on the 10-year anniversary of the devastating earthquake and tsunami off the coast of Fukushima, Japan, this year’s exercise is a somber reminder of the dangers that come along with living in a seismically active region such as the Caribbean, said Department of Disaster Management’s (DDM) Acting Director Mr. Jasen Penn.

“Thinking back to the devastation experienced by a highly developed nation like Japan is a reminder that we should do all we can to prepare for the possibility of a major earthquake and tsunami on our shores. Having a plan and knowing what to do in those crucial moments can save your life, or the lives of your family members or colleagues,” Mr. Penn said.

DDM’s Training Manager Ms. Carishma Hicks said that the recent earthquakes near Puerto Rico and the ongoing eruption in St. Vincent should serve as reminders that the Territory is vulnerable to earthquakes and other seismic hazards, including tsunamis.

Ms. Hicks said, “Tsunami events may be rare, but they have the potential to cause a lot of harm and they can occur without advance warning. We want persons to practice how they would respond to these events so that should the Territory experience an impact, we would not waste any time in getting ourselves and our families to safety.”

Ms. Hicks said in addition to mapping out and practicing evacuation routes, the DDM recommends that persons #BeReady for a possible tsunami by planning assembly points and putting together a small bag of essentials including a first-aid kit, prescription medication, flashlight, important documents and a battery-operated radio to receive the all-clear message from authorities.

The Training Manager added, “Annual exercises are a great opportunity for families and businesses to review their emergency preparations.” Virgin Islands schools, businesses, community groups and individuals can register as participants at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Caribe21_reg.

All participants should carry out the Drop, Cover and Hold earthquake safety response. Participants should also consider whether their location is in compliance with COVID-19 safety protocols when deciding whether or not to carry out an evacuation exercise. Alternatively, participants may exercise their building safety checks, update their home and family plans, or discuss other aspects of their organisation’s emergency response plan.

Caribe Wave is held annually in the region since 2009 and uses historical seismic data to generate a test scenario such as last year’s exercise, which was based on a 1755 tsunami generated by a magnitude 8.5 earthquake located off the coast of Portugal.

Approximately 74,000 persons have registered to participate in Caribe Wave this year. Participating states besides the Virgin Islands include Haiti, Aruba, United States, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The exercise is organised by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the United States Geological Survey.

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Note to Editors: Photo included

CAPTION: File Photo – Persons evacuating from the Central Administration Complex during the 2017 Caribe Wave exercise. (Credit: GIS)