Haiti is a nation that is part of our wider regional community of nations, and the damage along with human suffering currently taking place is very distressing. We empathize with our fellow St. Maarteners who hail from Haiti.
The quake was felt in the Dominican Republic, Eastern Cuba and the Eastern part of Jamaica.
A tsunami watch was issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre for Haiti, Cuba, Dominican Republic and The Bahamas. This watch was later cancelled, but in the message issued, it did state that the possibility of a local tsunami could affect coasts located usually no more than a hundred kilometres from the earthquake epicentre and that authorities for the region near the epicentre should be aware of this possibility.
The message also noted that areas further from the epicentre could experience small sea level changes and strong or unusual coastal currents.
The earthquake has left widespread loss of life and injury to thousands as well as massive destruction of property and infrastructure. It is also an eye opener and time for us as nations in the Caribbean to reflect on our preparedness for an earthquake or a tsunami.
An official from the National Earthquake Information Center in the U.S. Dale Grant, says that the Caribbean is actually a seismically active area and that smaller quakes do happen frequently in the region, however the Haiti earthquake was the first large quake in over 25-years.
The quake according to University of Texas representative Paul Mann occurred along a vertical fault line that runs from Jamaica to the southern part of the island of Hispanola.
The U.S. Geological Survey reported last week that there were over 80 earthquakes measuring 2.4 to 7.0 in the Caribbean region with the majority taking place in the area of Hispanola and Puerto Rico.
Earthquakes are unlike hurricanes which has a season from June to November. The former can occur at any time. Where tsunamis are concerned, persons should be aware of the fact that earthquakes of a specific magnitude could generate a tsunami. It has been documented in the past that several Caribbean islands have experienced a tsunami.
Disaster preparedness is not only the business of disaster preparedness and management offices. It's everybody's business, an individual responsibility to protect yourself, your family and property. The better prepared every individual and family are, the better prepared we are as a nation.
A study should be carried out if one hasn't been done already, of our nation's vulnerability to earthquakes and a tsunami. Everybody, including the business community should recognize the gravity of the situation and how critical it is to have an earthquake/tsunami plan in place.
Just like how we prepare for a hurricane every season by checking our hurricane family plan and disaster plan, the same can be said for earthquakes and tsunamis. The more we plan the better we are prepared for the worse case scenario.
Roddy Heyliger
