Residents, businesses, and communities in the U.S. Virgin Islands will participate in the CARIB WAVE 2019 Tsunami Warning Exercise set for March 14, 2019, the Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency announced Thursday. The exercise provides an opportunity for Virgin Islands residents, businesses and communities to build resilience by exercising emergency communications, reviewing tsunami response procedures and promoting tsunami preparedness, the release said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
CARIBE WAVE is the annual tsunami exercise of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The purpose of the exercise is to improve the Tsunami Warning System\u2019s effectiveness and strengthen community preparedness along the coasts of the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At 10:00 a.m. on March 14, 2019, the Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency (VITEMA) will launch CARIB WAVE 2019 in the territory with testing of the Integrated Public Alert & Warning System (IPAWS) and the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system. Participants will engage in scenarios developed for the CARIB WAVE Exercise based on a magnitude 6.0 earthquake associated with an underwater volcanic eruption, and subsequent collapse of an unstable sector of Kick\u2019em Jenny which generates a tsunami. During the self-led drill, participants will practice how to \u201cDrop<\/strong>where you are, Cover <\/strong>your head and neck, <\/strong>and Hold On <\/strong>until shaking stops.\u201d Participants will also practice evacuation to a \u201csafe zone,\u201d review tsunami response procedures and conduct preparedness discussions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe U.S. Virgin Islands are located in a seismically active region, prone to earthquakes and tsunamis,\u201d said Acting VITEMA Director, Denise Lewis. \u201cWith the recent increase in seismic activity in the region, it is clear that U.S. Virgin Islands residents must prepare now, rather than later,\u201d said Lewis. \u201cWe must continue to be informed about the dangers of earthquakes and tsunamis and know how to survive during and after these disasters.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n