Cayman’s schools to participate in earthquake and tsunami exercise

More than 8,000 local students from numerous schools across the Cayman Islands will be taking part in the regional Caribe Wave tsunami exercise on Thursday, 20 March.

“For a number of years, the schools have been required to have emergency response plans in place, and those plans include response actions for a significant regional earthquake and tsunami,” said Dani Coleman, director of Hazard Management Cayman Islands.

“This simulation is an opportunity for the schools and local businesses who signed up to take part in the exercise, to test those earthquake and tsunami response plans and evacuation procedures.”

The scenario

The scenario for the exercise relates to an 8.0 magnitude earthquake occurring off the coast of Jamaica that triggers a tsunami alert from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, which serves the Caribbean region.

Coleman said the exercise will begin at 10am and conclude by 11:30am in Cayman.

Mark Codling, HMCI’s acting deputy director, explained, “The recent 7.6 magnitude earthquake off Honduras, which triggered a tsunami alert, shows that these events can happen in the region at any time and without warning.”

Codling added, “The exercise will involve the use of phase 1 and phase 2 of the National Emergency Notification System, so that will include interrupting radio stations with an alert message, and we will also issue messages on the emergency notification app.”

The Community Emergency Response Teams will also be taking part as observers at the schools.

Improving response plans

Coleman said every emergency exercise is an opportunity to improve our response plans and enhance preparedness.

“We learn from every exercise we take part in, and we are glad to see so many people taking advantage of this opportunity, and, of course, we also learn from actual events,” she said.

Following the 7.7 magnitude earthquake in January 2020 that was felt quite strongly in the Cayman Islands, she said that there was a lot of concern in the community, especially from parents, many of whom were perhaps not aware that the schools have response plans and procedures in place.

“The school’s emergency response plans are reviewed by Hazard Management Cayman Islands, but it was clear when that earthquake occurred back in 2020 that more public awareness and more practice was needed to improve public response protocols and evacuation procedures,” Coleman said.

The annual Caribe Wave exercise is sponsored by UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission’s group for tsunami and coastal hazard response in the Caribbean, known as ICG/CARIBE-EWS.

According to an HCMI press release, this year a total of 27 schools, ranging from preschool to high school, have registered to participate, ensuring that students, teachers and administrators are well-prepared for potential seismic activity and tsunami threats.

Mark Ray, director of education services, said it is vital for students and educators to know how to respond in the event of an earthquake or tsunami.

“This exercise provides a hands-on learning experience that reinforces preparedness and safety. Our children’s safety and ability to respond is of the utmost importance,” Ray said.

In January, the Cayman Islands also took part in the Event Horizon 2025 exercise, which saw regional disaster management agencies and military personnel and maritime assets come together in the Cayman Islands to strengthen regional readiness and capacity.

Part of that exercise included regional humanitarian aid and disaster response for a simulation involving a large earthquake south of George Town, which triggered the activation of the Cayman Islands National Emergency Operations Centre and the activation of the regional support mechanism through the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency.