Don’t rule out tsunami possibility, says seismic expert

The region’s susceptibility to earthquakes means that there is the likelihood of a tsunami occurring in the future and the warning has been issued to stay on the alert.

This, from former Director of the UWI Seismic Research Center (SRC), Dr Joan Latchman who specializes in earthquake and volcano monitoring.

Dr Latchman said earthquakes do occur in the Eastern Caribbean and the availability of water surrounding the islands means “that we can have a tsunami and one day that can be significant.”

The seismologist noted that even low-level tsunamis can “sweep you off your feet”, adding larger tsunamis can inflict major damage to coastal areas.

“We must not forget that our region is vulnerable to earthquakes … tsunamis can and will one day occur. We have not had 10 foot or 30 foot tsunamis in the past, but that is in our future, of that we can be sure,” Dr Latchman said during the November 9 edition of VC3’s RoundTable Talk.

Dr Latchman went onto say that tsunami awareness in the region increased after the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami which occurred on Boxing Day and killed over 220,000 people.

“The Indian Ocean had not seen a major tsunami for hundreds of years and certainly here in the Caribbean we can become complacent because a thing hasn’t happened.”

She described this seismic event as an “important lesson” for the region.

“We must not forget that our region is vulnerable to earthquakes … tsunamis can and will one day occur. We have not had 10 foot or 30 foot tsunamis in the past but that is in our future, of that we can be sure.”

For Kick em Jenny, an active submarine volcano located north of the island of Grenada, Dr Latchman said while the depths at which the volcano lie means there is a low possibility of a tsunami, she noted that these systems change over time.

Her comments were echoed by Deputy Director of the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO), Kenson Stoddard who heads the National Tsunami Program.

Stoddard said St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) is “not out of tsunami threat” and NEMO is concerned about increases in seismic activity in the region.

He said the country’s National Tsunami Program, which was launched in 2008 in collaboration with the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission UNESCO and the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), has encountered challenges since its roll-out, particularly funding.

Stoddard said addressing specific vulnerabilities in communities such as persons with disabilities and those who do not have access to digital media is a priority area.

“This phase of the program is to ramp up public awareness and we are aware that we need to be more visible and we have embarked on that mission.”

Mapping Specialist with the Geographical Information System (GIS) Dwane Allen said that at least 25 per cent of mainland St Vincent, from Kingstown to Argyle, is certified tsunami-ready as well as Union Island in the Grenadines.

World Tsunami Day was celebrated on November 5, 2023 under the theme ‘Fighting Inequalities for a Resilient Future’.