As a result of the series of strong earthquakes striking Puerto Rico Tuesday morning, St. Kitts and Nevis is on high alert for seismic and tsunami activity.
Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vazquez declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard on Tuesday (Jan 7) after a series of earthquakes including one of magnitude 6.4 struck the Caribbean island causing widespread power outages, collapsed buildings and at least one death.
Acting National Disaster Coordinator Claricia Langley-Stevens told Freedom FM that Cabinet and other stakeholders had been briefed about the situation in Puerto Rico; and considering the proximity of the two islands and that the earthquakes hit in shallow waters, NEMA’s disaster alert system has been activated.
“The National Emergency Management Agency in consultation with our stakeholders and partners locally and regionally to include UWI’s Seismic Research Centre (SRC) in Trinidad and as well as CDEMA and the St. Kitts Met Office and Physical Planning, we have been monitoring information coming out of Puerto Rico about the increased amount of seismic–related activity.
“We do have all of our stakeholders on alert and this includes all of those that need to be in monitor mode.
“The agency has been able to engage a scientist, the new head of the SRC, and she has indicated the yare closely monitoring the increased seismic activity that is happening on the southern side of Puerto Rico more or less affecting the Caribbean Sea and of course you know that’s a seismogenic zone. What we’re seeing is there is an increase in magnitude and they’re happening in shallow waters- I think that is where the concerning is coming.”
She said NEMA has been advised to increase its tsunami smart program and public service announcements to get the general public more alert about signs of a tsumani and responses. One of the requests that came from the SRC and the Pacific Tsunami warning Centre which are the ones monitoring the region, NEMA should keep a close eye on the coastal communities on St. Kitts and Nevis.
“The important thing to note about seismic activity is that they do not issue warnings like a hurricane where you have days to prepare. Things happen instantly and so we need to be mindful of what are the required actions in the event that we are impacted whether directly or by extension as a result of what is happening in Puerto Rico.”
The Acting NDC said there has been no report of seismic activity around the federation since the escalation in activity off Puerto Rico.
“There’s been no direct activity from the fault line close to St. Kitts and Nevis. However we’re on alert for both seismic and tsunami activity because seismic is very unpredictable and we can’t guarantee what wont happen in St. Kitts. We know that most tsunami activity is a spinoff from seismic related activity and we’re surrounded by water and the coastal communities can be vulnerable to even rises in the tide or sea levels.”
UWI’s Seismic Research Centre reminds that the Eastern Caribbean is a seismically active area with hundreds of earthquakes occurring in and around the region each year. Although not all of these earthquakes are felt, instruments at the SRC record the majority of these events.
On Tuesday morning the agency posted on social media saying “The recent earthquakes around Puerto Rico serves as a reminder that our region is seismically active and we always need to be prepared.”