The Turks and Caicos Islands will be part of a regional Tsunami warning simulation called ’Exercise CARIBE WAVE 11’ this Wednesday March 23 2011.
The scenario is based on the November 18, 1867 earthquake and tsunami for which wave heights of up to 10 meters were reported in the Eastern Caribbean. Based on this scenario, arrival times and wave heights have been identified for each country.
Mr. Jamell Robinson, Director of the DDME told RTC News that the simulation will give the Turks and Caicos an opportunity to test and finalize the draft TCI Tsunami Warning Protocols that were recently developed through a consultative process with assistance from AusAid through the Caribbean Disaster and Emergency Management Agency.
Testing will be the receipt and subsequent dissemination of Tsunami Warning Messages to Emergency Response Personnel and the general public. The general public will be notified via a Test Message through their cellular phone provider Mr. Robinson explained.
The Department of Disaster Management and Emergencies would like the public to provide feedback on when and how warning information was received to better upgrade the mass dissemination system.
CARIBE WAVE 11 was planned in partnership with the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) Intergovernmental Coordination Group for Tsunami and Other Coastal Hazards Warning System for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions (ICG/CARIBE-EWS), the Centro de Coordinación para la Prevención de los Desastres Naturales en América Central (CEPREDENAC), NOAA, and the U.S. National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program (NTHMP).
