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Antigua and Barbuda, is gearing up for a crucial tsunami preparedness exercise scheduled for March 21.
The National Office of Disaster Services (NODS) will facilitate the exercise in collaboration with the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), as part of a comprehensive regional programme aimed at promoting disaster readiness among citizens.
This annual exercise is designed to simulate a real-life scenario of a tsunami caused by an earthquake off the coast of Puerto Rico.
The authorities will sound tsunami sirens at 11 am on March 21, and send notifications via the Cap.Cap app to alert the public about the exercise.
However, the NODS is currently working with developers to resolve issues with the app’s availability on Google and Apple stores.
In the event of a real tsunami, the authorities have identified several designated safe zones across the country, including St John’s Cathedral, YASCO, Adele School, and Antigua Recreation Ground.
The NODS recommends that people locate higher ground areas near their location and move to those areas as soon as they hear the tsunami warning sirens or notice any signs of an impending tsunami.
According to the Public Relations Officer of NODS, Midcie Francis, there are several warning signs of a tsunami, including a major earthquake, a loud rumbling noise from the sea, and the sea receding from the shore.
If people notice any of these signs, they should immediately move to higher ground and wait for the all-clear signal before returning to their homes or workplaces.
In prior years, mainly schools participated in the exercise, but this year, the NODS hopes to have more institutions and organizations participate in this critical exercise.
Over 20 schools and private institutions have already signed up for the exercise, and more are welcome to register before March 7 to participate.
The NODS urges citizens to use this opportunity to enhance their knowledge of tsunami preparedness and be ready for any future disaster.
Antigua is preparing for Tsunami simulation exercise or the like. Antigua is NOT preparing for a Tsunami. Words matter.