Tsunami Exercise Scheduled For Thursday
The Minister of National Security Wayne Caines has advised the public that Bermuda will join localities in the Caribbean as a participant in a tsunami response exercise on Thursday [March 14] titled Caribe Wave 19.
The purpose of this exercise is to assess and improve communication plans and coordination throughout the region.
It will test communications between the Bermuda Tsunami Focal Point, recognized as the Bermuda Weather Service, and the Emergency Measures Organisation. The Ministry’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Mitigation Team will be coordinating this exercise.
This exercise is sponsored by Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization [IOC/UNESCO] Intergovernmental Coordination Group for Tsunami and Other Coastal Hazards Warning System for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions [ICG/CARIBE-EWS].
“Please note that if during the exercise a real tsunami occurs, the exercise will be terminated,” a spokesperson said. “For more information on the U.S. tsunami warning system, please visit www.tsunami.gov.”
Really? Surely WC the MoNS has more to do than discuss tsunamis. As a seamount with very little surrounding shelf Bermuda is one of the least likely places to experience a tsunami of any strength. There is no record of such waves that I can find, even when an unusual “Bermuda Triangle” earthquake estimated at 7.4 magnitude in 1817 sent out a tsunami that “violently tossed” ships docked on the Delaware River. The folks in Somerset who gaze at the horizon in the summer can rest assured that their visual musings are more mirage than monster wave…
“Failing to plan is planning to fail.” Bermuda isn’t in an earthquake zone; however, we can be impacted by quakes off of the Atlantic shelf and the PR trench. For instance, in 1929 the Grand Banks, Newfoundland quake sent waves to our island. (Similarly, the 2011 earthquake in Japan caused waves to cross the Pacific. Several hours after the tsunami, waves reached the coast of California causing more than $25 million in damages.) T Using modern day technology models and risk assessments Bermuda can determine areas of vulnerability and address them to mitigate our risks. Well done to the EMO task force for developing all-hazards emergency planning and risk mitigation!
Blah blah blah and more lies
In the event of a real tsunami what should we do? Is there a plan for the people?? Mass hysteria could be avoided to a degree if everyone was on the same page beforehand. Our schools should do drills- like they do in the USA for gun attacks – although gun attack in US schools much more likely than tsunami wipe out in Bermuda!
Run for the hills? Are there anough high hills to go around for 60,000 people?
Jump in your boat?
Swarm the airport to hop a plane?
where do we run to ? the cabinet building?