🌊 Cayman Islands participates in UNESCO tsunami preparedness drill

The Hazard Management Cayman Islands (HMCI) joined in on the annual CARIBE WAVE 24, a tsunami preparedness exercise organized by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). The exercise simulated two tsunami scenarios, one triggered by a magnitude 8.7 earthquake in the Puerto Rico Trench, and the other by a magnitude 8.47 earthquake on the Northern Panama Deformed Belt. The HMCI used this opportunity to test the communication and dissemination of tsunami messages from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center to the Cayman Islands National Tsunami Contacts and National Tsunami Focal Points. 📢

HMCI also tested satellite phone technology to contact the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency. The recent acquisition of the NOAA Tsunami Inundation Model, supported by the Caribbean Tsunami Information Center, USAID, NOAA, and others, marks a significant moment for local risk assessment capacity for the tsunami threat. This is expected to lead to major changes in the Cayman Islands' preparedness strategies. HMCI emphasized the importance of public awareness and the need for people to know how to respond and to download the National Emergency Notification App. 📱

Participation in such exercises is crucial for readiness and helps in identifying gaps and issues. The lessons learned during the 2024 Caribe Wave Exercise will be integrated into the plans and procedures, thereby improving the Cayman Islands' ability to respond to and recover from tsunamis. The exercise was coordinated with the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and other regional emergency management stakeholders. 🌍