How to respond to tsunamis in times of social distancing? Follow the regional guidelines

Regional guidelines for tsunami warning services, evacuation and sheltering during the COVID-19 pandemic are now available to ensure the safety of vulnerable coastal communities from ocean hazards while minimizing the risk of viral contagion.

Prepared by UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), in consultation and collaboration with expert working groups within the Intergovernmental Coordination Groups (ICGs), the COVID-19 tsunami response guidelines provide specific instructions for each of the four regions covered by tsunami early warning systems: the Pacific Ocean, the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean, and the North-eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean (and connected seas).

These guidelines aid to clarify possible confusion generated by COVID-19 sanitary priorities and regulations in regard to response actions during a tsunami warning such as evacuation and sheltering.

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INGV, Italy Launches New Tsunami Warning Center Platform

The Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) has launched a new website for their Tsunami Warning Center (CAT). The site is for the general public and the media and it contains information to understand the tsunami risk in Italy and in the Mediterranean. Several aspects of the tsunami phenomenon are described, from their causes and propagation, the warning and mitigation system, over to how to act in case of a Tsunami, and the coordination and liaison with the civil protection system.

The map on the Home page shows seismic events since January 2017 that have activated the national tsunami warning system. The colors of the symbols indicate the alert level: 1) Green: no alert / INFORMATION; 2) Orange alert / ADVISORY; 3) Red alert / WATCH. Mr Alessandro Amato, Head of INGV CAT informs that real-time alerts do not currently appear on the map. Presently alerts are transmitted both to the National Civil Protection Department, which distributes them in real time to the local and national authorities, and to the countries of the Euro-Mediterranean area that are subscribers of the CAT services (Spain, Portugal, France , Germany, Egypt, Israel, Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, Malta, Lebanon, the United Kingdom).

The new INGV Tsunami Warning Platform is available at the following link:www.ingv.it/cat

The NEAMTWS community and the Technical Secretary of ICG/NEAMTWS Mr Denis Chang Seng welcomed the new tsunami information platform. He also noted that there is a continuous effort among all NEAM Tsunami Service Providers in France; Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Turkey to upgrade their Tsunami Information Platforms to better serve the public in general.

The Tsunami Information Centre (NEAMTIC) website supports the development of the NEAMTWS and acts as the central platform in the NEAM region for information on warning systems, risks and good practices in respect of tsunamis and other sea-level related hazards for civil protection agencies, disaster management organizations, decision makers, schools, industries and the general public.

Winners of Tsunami Ready youth Art Competition in the Caribbean announced

The competition was organized as a key output of a project aimed at strengthening tsunami early warning and response capacities in Caribbean countries, sponsored by the European Commission DIPECHO and coordinated by UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission. The contest targeted arts students aged 14-16 from Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominican Republic, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago.

The visual art competition’s goal was to raise awareness of the tsunami hazard and promote an improved understanding of geologic phenomena and emergency response systems in the participating countries to the project: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominican Republic, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago. Officially launched in October last year, this competition contributed to the 2019 World Tsunami Awareness Day (5 November).

The prizes were to be presented to the top three art pieces in each country at the joint ceremony for the recognition of the Tsunami Ready community and art competition awards. However, due to travel and gathering restrictions in light of COVID-19, this ceremony has been postponed and will be virtual, when implemented. Featured: 1st Price Antigua and Barbuda/Miss Sapphire Percival of Sir Novelle Richards Academy

CARIBE WAVE 20 Exercise

The annual tsunami exercise for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions, CARIBE WAVE, has been improving and validating tsunami readiness since 2011. The 2020 exercise took place on March 19, 2020 under very different circumstances than previous years. After months of regional and national preparation and planning, given the COVID-19 pandemic, the UNESCO IOC Intergovernmental Coordination Group for Tsunami and Other Coastal Hazards for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions (ICG/CARIBE EWS) agreed to only test the communication lines at a regional level. It was left up to the Member States and Territories to decide if any additional activity would be carried out and whether to use the simulated messages for one of two tsunami scenarios: Jamaica and Portugal.

Despite the sudden change in scope of the exercise, CARIBE WAVE 20 was held successfully. The Regional Tsunami Service Provider, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, issued a “Dummy” message at 14h00 UTC to all officially designated Tsunami Warning Focal Points (TWFP) and National Tsunami Warning Centers (NTWC). Many methods of communication were used to disseminate the message: the World Meteorological Organization Warning Information System (Global Telecommunication Systems), the Aeronautical Information Replacement System (AISR), NOAA Weather Wire, AWIPS, Fax, Email and Social Media. According to feedback as well as social media and web posts, the dummy message was successfully received, validating the communication platforms.

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