Tsunami Preparation – By Jeressa Jeremy
Tsunami Preparation Improving Official
Following last week’s 6.5 magnitude earthquake and, the Director of the Antigua and Barbuda Meteorological Services (ABMS) said the country’s tsunami preparedness is strengthening.
During in an interview with Observer Media, Dale Destin who recently published an article on tsunamis, highlighted the preparedness for such an occurrence.
“We are getting prepared; we’re not where we would like to be, but much work has been done and we are on the road to being prepared,” he said.
“There’s currently a project that is being executed that will make all of Barbuda tsunami ready,” he added.
Destin mentioned the efforts that have already been taken to make Antigua ready, drawing reference to the yearly tsunami drills that occur. He also said that more measures are being executed to enhance Antigua’s tsunami preparedness.
“We would have done mapping for parts of Antigua and as money becomes available, we will continue to build out tsunami readiness,” he said.
Destin said that one of the biggest gaps in tsunami preparedness is the Met Office’s ability to issue timely alerts.
“In relation to tsunami, I would want to honestly speak to the fact that the Met Office is still not where it needs to be with respect to our ability to properly issue the requisite alerts. We are on the way there, but we’re not there yet,” he said.
Destin shared steps individuals can take to assist their tsunami preparedness, stressing the importance of being able to identify natural warning signs.
“If you feel a strong shake, you need to run. If you’re at the shoreline and see the water recede, you need to run. If you see the water suddenly rise or hear a loud roar near the sea, you need to move to higher ground,” he said.
He said that the Met Office would not always be able to alert the public in time during locally triggered tsunamis, as they can reach the coastline within minutes.
“For local tsunamis, it is almost impossible for the Met Office or any alerting organization to get that information out in time, because they can reach our shores in minutes, long before us or even our tsunami service provider,” he said.
The ABMS Director also said that both islands may be impacted differently by tsunamis.
“Barbuda is a little bit different. A tsunami will have a greater impact on Barbuda because of its low-lying nature. But for Antigua, once you’re two miles in from the shoreline or 70 feet above sea level, you’re going to be safe,” he said.
He added that individuals should be mindful of their surroundings and tsunami safe zones.
“It’s very crucial or critical for a person to know where they live or where they work, get information as to whether or not they’re in the tsunami hazard zone, so that if a tsunami threat or tsunami warning is issued, they don’t find themselves having to be panicking and leaving an area that is safe and perhaps traversing through an unsafe area to try and get to what they may deem to be a safe area,” Destin said.
