BASSETERRE, St. Kitts -- DISASTER emergency response management officials have confirmed their participation in a tsunami response exercise, slated for March 21, 2024, joining other Caribbean territories.
The exercise, dubbed CARIBE WAVE 24, will simulate tsunami threat scenarios across the Caribbean, necessitating the activation of local tsunami response plans.
According to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), this year's drill will concentrate on evaluating response plans from Dieppe Bay to Lynches, involving institutions in the Saddlers area as well.
"The purpose of this exercise is to evaluate national and local tsunami response plans, increase tsunami preparedness, and improve coordination throughout the region," stated NEMA.
Oureika Lennon-Petty, Acting Deputy National Disaster Coordinator at NEMA, emphasized that CARIBE WAVE aims to assess tsunami preparedness comprehensively.
She highlighted the exercise's crucial role in addressing a fundamental question - how prepared are we to face a tsunami?
"That question we try and answer each year by exercising and we do that in different areas that are vulnerable to the threat of a tsunami," remarked Mrs. Lennon-Petty.
The exercise encompasses two simulated scenarios: an earthquake in the Puerto Rico Trench and Panama. NEMA will select the scenario most applicable to the Federation. Residents in Dieppe Bay, Lynches, and Saddlers are encouraged to actively participate in the drill.
