Cayman to check Tsunami plans in regional simulation
(CNS): A Tsunami simulation exercise across the Caribbean today will test the regional countries readiness for such an event. Cayman is taking part to evaluate its own local tsunami response plans, increase preparedness, as well as improve coordination throughout the region.
Caribe Wave/Lantex 15, will simulate a widespread Tsunami Warning and Watch situation throughout the Caribbean. It will be triggered by a simulated earthquake off the cost of Panama today and officials will go through their paces as if it were a real event.
A handbook has been prepared which describes the scenario and contains tsunami messages from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC), the Agency that provides tsunami alerts and notifications to the Cayman Islands focal points.
The exercise is sponsored by numerous agencies including the UNESCO/IOC Intergovernmental Coordination Group for Tsunami and Other Coastal Hazards Warning System for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions (ICG/CARIBE-EWS), the Caribbean Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
For more information go to the following websites:
Caribbean Tsunami Warning Program http://caribewave.info
Pacific Tsunami Warning Center http://ptwc.weather.gov
ICG/CARIBE EWS http://www.ioc-tsunami.org
Category: Science & Nature
For those that seem to think there could be no tsunamis in the Caribbean region, think again. There is geological evidence of past tsunamis in fairly recent geological time by way of a large boulder debris field near the blow holes. This is mentioned in Dr. Brian Jones’ book on the Cayman Islands Geologic record. He also mentions the famous Port Royal incident of 1692 and subsequent tsunami. Although catastrophic water displacement events from submarine avalanches are extremely rare, it cannot be denied that they have happened before.
Read up on the effect of the Indian Ocean Tsunami on Diego Garcia island for the effect of a tsunami in Cayman, both have similar topologies with no continental shelf for waves to build on.
As for the 1692 quake, there was no-one in Cayman to record if it was hit.
PS the Port Royal quake is thought to be imminent again
CNS – A follow-up on this to hear what they actually tested/learned with the excercise would make a nice article.
So rather than saying at least HMCI is trying to look at a variety of things under their remit, not just hurricanes, you complain that someone else isn’t doing what you want them to do. You must be real fun at parties. ‘Congrats on your daughter’s graduation, but about the shody bus service’.
Should a tsunami ever threaten these islands then the best course of action for residents in Grand cayman would be to put your head between your legs and kiss your a$$ goodbye.
and it would obviously be the expats fault, just like Ivan was
Dammit, was that us? Was that our plan to conquer Cayman? Foiled again!
Tasteless.
Those who destroyed the mangroves assisted Ivan in wreaking havoc on the island!
Or you could just go upstairs
I could be wrong but I think that tsunami’s need miles of shallow water to build up into a substantial size wave. And seeing that our waters go from 60ft to 6000ft only 100 yards from sore I think this is a waste of time and effort for those involved.
Mt Trashmore is a much greater threat to these islands, but as usual our leaders have their heads in the sand when it comes to issues that actually matter.
If you think the threat does not exist simply because we do not have a shallow coastal shelf it may be your head left in the sand.
read up on Diego Garcia Island and the Sumatra tsunami to see the effect of having no continental shelf
While I might agree that Mt Trashmore presents a greater danger the realities are that this is not something that HMCI has to work on and if a tsunami does in fact come we will quickly forget anything about Mt Trashmore
Obviously you haven’t heard stories from the older Caymanians. They spoke about the sea ‘moving way out’ from the shore and then enormous waves returning. ‘People ran inland to higher ground when they saw the water moving away from the shore’ . This was a West Bay tale. They called it tidal wave.