Caribbean tests tsunami warning system

Exercise will test the effectiveness of early warning provisions

The region will participate in a large scale tsunami response exercise on Thursday, that is geared towards identifying possible weaknesses in the tsunami and other coastal hazards warning system for the Caribbean and adjacent regions.

Known as Caribe Wave 16, the exercise will test the effectiveness of early warning provisions involving those responsible for the management of emergencies in the region, including national Tsunami Warning Focal Points, weather forecast centres, national coast guard services and emergency relief services.

Nearly 70,000 people are involved in the exercise and countries will also be able to extend the test at the local level.

Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Panama are planning to test their preparedness through an evacuation exercise for some of their coastal populations.

The exercise will test a double scenario including a major earthquake off the coast of Venezuela and another off the northern coast of the Dominican Republic. It will feature fictitious messages sent by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC) to the countries taking part in the exercise.

Countries can choose to extend the test at the local level by disseminating the alert via sirens or loudspeakers

Over the last 500 years, 75 tsunamis have occurred in the Caribbean, nearly 10 per cent of the worldwide total over the same period.

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says tsunamis, whether caused by earthquakes, landslides or volcanic activity have claimed more than 3,500 lives in the region since the middle of the 19th century .
The first tsunami warning exercise in the region took place in 2011.

The Tsunami and other Coastal Hazards Warning System for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions was established in 2005 replicating the models of the Pacific, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean and Northeast Atlantic systems.

Created under the auspices of the UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), the Intergovernmental Coordinating Groups help Member States establish tsunami warning and response systems.