6,032 Join Caribe Wave Tsunami Drill
More than 6,000 residents, students and public officers took part in the Caribe Wave tsunami preparedness exercise in the Virgin Islands on March 19. The drill tested earthquake response, vertical evacuation procedures and regional communications, with organisers noting increased private-sector participation and wide reach of sirens, apps and social media messages.
A total of 6,032 students, public officers and members of the public in the Virgin Islands took part in the Caribe Wave tsunami preparedness exercise on March 19, the Department of Disaster Management (DDM) confirmed. Participants practised the recommended earthquake response of drop, cover and hold, then carried out evacuations to high ground or inland where appropriate, in line with established tsunami safety guidance.
Director of Disaster Management Jasen Penn said the exercise gives communities an opportunity to “walk through the steps they would take in the event of a tsunami warning,” stressing that the Virgin Islands sits in a highly seismically active area and remains exposed to tsunami risk.
Penn welcomed a rise in private-sector involvement this year, including key hotels refining emergency and contingency plans. He thanked hospitality businesses for joining the voluntary exercise despite the busy tourist season and noted that DDM officers will offer site-specific exercises for tourism operators who could not participate this time.
For the first time, Caribe Wave was integrated with the National Science Fair. Students and fair attendees practised vertical evacuation together and received tsunami-safety information from DDM and Ministry of Education, Youth Affairs and Sports officers. Early feedback from participants indicated that public sirens, the emergency app and social media alerts were widely heard or received.
Regionally, the exercise allows authorities to test communication and coordination procedures. Tsunami information statements for the Virgin Islands originate with the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC). Following that, either DDM or the Royal Virgin Islands Police activates the National Early Warning Multi-hazard Alert System (NEWMAS) to alert the local population.
Organisers encourage residents to submit observations or suggestions about Caribe Wave via the public feedback survey at www.surveymonkey.com/r/feedbacksurvey2026. Individuals and organisations with questions about tsunami or other emergency plans can contact DDM for free advice and support at (284) 468-2400 or ddm@gov.vg.
Caribe Wave is coordinated locally by DDM and sponsored by the UNESCO/IOC Intergovernmental Coordination Group for Tsunami and Other Coastal Hazards Warning System for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions (ICG/CARIBE-EWS), in coordination with CDEMA, CEPREDENAC, EMIZA Antilles and NOAA.
The Virgin Islands disaster management programme is accredited by the Emergency Management Accreditation Programme. The exercise is part of ongoing efforts to strengthen local preparedness and ensure residents and businesses understand the actions to take if a tsunami threat arises.
Primary source: BVI Government