Dear Editor,
Caribbean leaders and disaster management officials are still studying the impact of the February 8, 2025, 7.6 magnitude Caribbean earthquake – the largest in the world since 2023 – that occurred near the Cayman Islands and north of Honduras, and the threat of a tsunami after the NWS Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami alert for the Caribbean Basin.
From time to time, regional leaders are alerted by an earthquake/tsunami alert in the region or by Kick-’em-Jenny – the active undersea volcano on the Caribbean Sea floor off the coast of Grenada that rises 1,300 meters above the sea floor – which raises temporary awareness for risk management planning about the threat level and steps that need to be taken to keep populations safe.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) of the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis says the alert was an opportunity to reinforce the importance of disaster preparedness for residents and citizens of the federation.
The Cayman Islands Hazard Management Agency director stated that Cayman residents should understand and be aware of their tsunami risk, especially in the context of where they live and work and if they have children, and where their children go to school.
Cayman Islands Hazard Management Agency is working to make the information available from their tsunami inundation model available to residents, so they can make informed decisions about where to go and how to react in the event of a tsunami threat.
The Prime Minister of St. Maarten Dr. Luc Mercelina last week announced that the Government is set to launch a new cell broadcast emergency warning system on June 1, to enhance the country’s disaster response capabilities. Testing of the new system will begin in March.
Caribbean leaders and disaster managers have to be prepared for the worst-case scenario. Annually, the world’s largest tsunami exercise – “Caribe Wave” – takes place in March coordinated by the U.S. NOAA Caribbean Tsunami Information Center.
The 14th annual Regional Tsunami Exercise, Caribe Wave 25, will be conducted on the 20th of March 2025 at 1500 UTC. UNESCO/IOC Intergovernmental Coordination Group for Tsunamis and Other Coastal Hazards for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions (CARIBE EWS) Member States and Territories will have two scenarios from which to choose: a tsunami generated by a magnitude 8.0 earthquake located along the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden Fault Zone (EPGFZ) and a tsunami generated by a magnitude 8.6 earthquake located approximately 270 km off the Portugal coast.
Tsunami exercises such as Caribe Wave are important to validate and advance end-to-end tsunami preparedness across the Caribbean and adjacent regions. All 48 CARIBE EWS Member States and Territories, stakeholders, and communities at risk have been encouraged to plan for and participate in the exercise.
Roddy Heyliger
