The Disaster Management Coordination Agency (DMCA) will host its annual Caribe Wave Tsunami Exercise on Thursday, March 21, 2024.
A release from the agency said “the exercise aims to test Montserrat’s preparedness and response protocols in emergency communications and evacuation procedures.
“The tsunami evacuation drill will be based on a tsunami scenario at Woodlands Beach involving grade six students and teachers from the St Augustine Primary School participating in a field trip. The tsunami drill will help the students understand tsunamis natural warning signs, what to do, and how to stay safe during a real event to build community resilience and safeguard individuals on our shores, especially in areas where tsunamis can have a great impact,” explained DMCA.
The local drill is part of CARIBEWAVE, a tsunami exercise held annually in the Caribbean, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands under the direction of UNESCO and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center where a simulated tsunami event is presented to understand the procedures and prepare response in case of a real tsunami.
Montserrat has had tsunami events in the past generated by the eruption of the Soufriere Hills Volcano, and due to the island’s geographical location, some coastlines are vulnerable to tsunamis triggered by distant sources.
A tsunami is a series of travelling waves of extremely long length and period, usually generated by disturbances associated with earthquakes occurring below or near the ocean floor. Volcanic eruptions, submarine landslides, and coastal rock falls can also generate tsunamis, as can a large meteorite impacting the ocean. They can occur at any time of the year, day or night, but they are not very common, occurring approximately once yearly. Tsunamis have claimed lives, demolished homes and destroyed communities across the world.
The concept of tsunami preparedness is once you receive a warning, you head to higher ground.
For further information call DMCA at 491-7166 or send an email to DMCA@gov.ms
