Drill shows Caribbean unprepared for tsunami

[ramesh]

Officials in the United States Virgin Islands were surprised that radio stations were able to broadcast an alert in Spanish but not in English and that the emergency broadcast signal was weak.

"That's one of the things we're looking into," said Noel Smith, director of the islands' emergency management agency.

UN officials said the exercise simulated a tsunami that could be generated by a 7.6-magnitude earthquake. The drill targeted government agencies, although some governments got residents involved.

In Puerto Rico, dozens of citizens complained that they never heard the sirens meant to alert them. The US National Weather Service has deemed only 11 of the island's 44 coastal municipalities ready for a tsunami.

There were successes.

Emergency management workers in the Bahamas successfully issued an alert by text message to 300 officials across the island chain, said Commander Stephen Russell at the emergency management agency.

Ronald Jackson, director of Jamaica's emergency management office, said local agencies worked to improve staffers' disaster preparedness skills with training sessions rather than stage the drill. He cited a lack of resources.

Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/...#ixzz1HYhHcxqG

[bernie]

Who the heck can be prepared for a tsunami?

[ramesh]

With proper preparation and quick notification, any country can deal with a reasonable sized Tsunami to reduce or eliminate loss of life.

The problem is the amount of time before the wave hits. Say for instance an 7.7 earthquake occurs just off Kingston and there's a twenty minute window. Once the earthquake is detected by seismographs, a threat evaluation has to be determined and plan of action determined and implemented. Local authorities have to be brought in and a general alarm informing the populous to leave immediately.

The preparation, though daunting, is achievable and necessary. Drills are necessary to keep the officials and population prepared for a disaster that is not only possible, but probable.

[Manu]

With proper preparation and quick notification, any country can deal with a reasonable sized Tsunami to reduce or eliminate loss of life.

The problem is the amount of time before the wave hits. Say for instance an 7.7 earthquake occurs just off Kingston and there's a twenty minute window. Once the earthquake is detected by seismographs, a threat evaluation has to be determined and plan of action determined and implemented. Local authorities have to be brought in and a general alarm informing the populous to leave immediately.

The preparation, though daunting, is achievable and necessary. Drills are necessary to keep the officials and population prepared for a disaster that is not only possible, but probable.

I'm sorry to say but I've played this scenario over and over in my head. I think if we have a water retreat, people will run out on the exposed beach and be washed away. Especially if fishes and **** are exposed. We would quite possibly have loss of life nearing to 1 million. The biggest natural disaster death toll in history. Why? Because of the many inner city communities near the coast line and more specifically, PORTMORE with about 500,000 persons. How will have access to cars? Next thing, supposedly the toll road would be compromised, there would be only two exits. Municipal Highway and Braeton Road. Imagine people trying to evact via those routes. The 1907 quake produced a tsunami too so it's not unlikely. Our topography causes alot of people to live near the coasts. And if we do get a tsunami, what you think would happen to Cayman? Lets just be grateful that we've been spared so long. It nah go pretty a ruhaas if we get a quake off the coast of Kingston at all.