BVI to Join Caribe Wave Tsunami Exercise
The British Virgin Islands will take part in the fifteenth regional tsunami preparedness exercise, Caribe Wave, on March 19, joining roughly half a million Caribbean residents, the Department of Disaster Management (DDM) has announced. DDM Director Jasen Penn urged residents to download tsunami evacuation maps, practise "drop, cover and hold," and rehearse routes to higher ground; registration for households and organisations is open online.
The British Virgin Islands will join some half a million Caribbean residents in the fifteenth regional tsunami preparedness exercise, Caribe Wave, on March 19, the Department of Disaster Management (DDM) has announced. DDM Director Jasen Penn said the exercise is an opportunity for everyone to learn or rehearse the simple actions that save lives in a tsunami threat — heading inland or to higher ground. "As an island community, we are extremely vulnerable to the threat of a major tsunami.
This means it is vital for everyone to understand what they can do to protect themselves and their families," Mr. Penn said in a Government of the Virgin Islands press release. Officials emphasise that the single most important preparatory step is to download and study the tsunami evacuation maps available from the DDM website.
Penn urged residents to identify safe routes not only from their homes and workplaces but from other places they frequent such as churches, restaurants, schools, beaches and popular weekend sites, advising people to learn the best route to higher ground or inland from each location.
This years exercise scenario begins with a simulated earthquake off the coast of the Cayman Islands at 10:00 a.m. local time, followed shortly by a regional tsunami warning and an evacuation order. The scenario is modelled on recent regional events, including the February 2025 Honduras earthquake and the subsequent tsunami advisory, and is designed to test public and institutional responses.
Participants should expect activation of the National Early Warning Multi-hazard Alert System during the exercise, including the early warning sirens. To register, households and organisations should sign up online at www.surveymonkey.com/r/NationalEarthquakeandTsunamiExercise2026.
On March 19, registered participants are asked to practise the earthquake action "drop, cover and hold" and then follow their planned route to higher ground or inland. Caribe Wave is coordinated locally by the DDM and is 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 the Caribbean Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), CEPREDENAC, EMIZA Antilles and the U.S.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). DDM encourages residents to use the exercise to update family emergency plans, prepare emergency kits, note multiple evacuation routes, and account for children, elders, visitors and pets. The exercise is intended to raise awareness and strengthen community readiness so households and institutions can respond quickly and safely if a real tsunami threat occurs.
For more information, contact DDMs Information & Education Manager Chrystall Kanyuck-Abel at ckanyuck-abel@gov.vg. The Government press release also provides an international media contact at BVIGovernment@dgagroup.com and notes general government services and inquiry lines: call (284) 468-3701, WhatsApp 1(284) 468-9760, or visit the Government of the Virgin Islands virtual booking system for additional support and resources.
Residents are reminded that practising these simple steps now can save lives later: check the maps, rehearse routes from the places you go, make a plan for those who may need help evacuating, and register to take part in Caribe Wave on March 19.
Primary source: BVI Government