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HomeNewsLocal governmentVITEMA Prepares for Annual Caribe Wave Tsunami Drill

VITEMA Prepares for Annual Caribe Wave Tsunami Drill

Daryl Jaschen, director of the V.I. Territory Emergency Management Agency, alerted the public of the annual tsunami warning at 11 a.m. on March 16 during the weekly Government House briefing Monday. The system evaluates tsunami preparedness in the Caribbean and nearby regions.

Jaschen said there are 19 sirens on St. Thomas, one on Water Island, seven on St. John and 17 on St. Croix, lasting one to two minutes.

Tsunami maps of each Virgin Island are available on VITEMA’s website. (Government House Facebook page)

Every month on the third Thursday, the tsunami warning siren is tested, but the upcoming test is in conjunction with the Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Tsunami and Other Coastal Hazards Warning System for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions of the Oceanographic Commission of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

“Normally, these monthly tsunami tests are not accompanied by any other notices or alerts, except for the month of March when VITEMA participates in Caribe Wave,” Jaschen said.

In addition to the siren, the March 16 alert will include a message beginning with “This is a test.” Once the test has concluded, another message will be sent stating the test has been conducted and is over.

People who are not enrolled in Alert VI can sign up at www.vitema.vi.gov to receive a text, email or phone message in English or Spanish for the warning signal. Enrollment also is available by phone at 340-774-2244, 340-776-2244 and 340-773-2244.

In addition to signing up for alerts, maps can be downloaded that indicate evacuation and safe zones on each island. Puerto Rico and the British Virgin Islands will conduct their tests on March 23.

People can also sign up to show individual or business participation for the March 16 test at www.tsunamizone.org. More than 10,400 people have registered already, according to Jaschen.

At the same briefing, Health’s Assistant Commissioner Reuben Molloy updated COVID statistics for the territory. Currently, there are 19 cases of the virus, with 10 on St. Croix and nine on St. Thomas. St. John has no infections and nobody is hospitalized, he said.

Molloy reminded people the best defense is a vaccination and only the bivalent vaccine is effective against the current strains of the virus.

While COVID testing is suspended temporarily, vaccines are available for adults and children. On St. Croix, vaccines are available on the second floor of the former Caribe Do-It Center, Mondays through Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. No appointment is necessary.

Vaccines on St. Thomas are administered on the second floor of the Schneider Regional Medical Center from 9 a.m. to noon and 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays.

St. Johnians can get vaccinated at the Port Authority gravel lot Wednesdays from 1 – 4 p.m.

Appointments for children can be made at 340-718-1311, ext. 3201 or 3875 on St. Croix. Appointments for children on St. Thomas can be made at 340-778-7477, ext. 8804 or 2600.

Richard Motta, Government House communications director, announced that the Office of Management and Budget, on March 14, will hold the Spring Revenue Estimating Conference to review revenue generating agencies’ financial forecasts. The public can watch the proceedings on the Government House Facebook page.

At the beginning of the press briefing, Motta read a statement from Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. recognizing the St. Thomas men who rescued occupants of a car Sunday night. Lt. Gov. Tregenza Roach also commended the Charlotte Amalie High School students.

“It makes my heart swell with pride to hear of the brave and selfless actions of Dillon Hodge, Kalan Bernier and Agyei Gregory, the men who, without hesitation or regard for their own safety, jumped into the water to save the occupants of the car that went into the water on the St. Thomas waterfront,” Bryan wrote.

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