No Warning, Advisory or Watch is in effect for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
No Warning, Advisory or Watch is in effect for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
TsunamiReady is a volunteer program created by the National Weather Service (NWS- NOAA) as an effort to minimize life and property loss in the event of a tsunami catastrophe and to promote safety measures for tsunami alerts. In Puerto Rico, the Seismic Network (RSPR for it Spanish acronym) administers the funds from the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program (NTHMP) and those of the TsunamiReady Program. The Seismic Network is also in association with the prognostics office of the NWS in San Juan, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Puerto Rico Emergency Management Agency (PREMA ), the Local Emergency Management Office (OMMEs for its Spanish acronym), and the communities. Through this program, we've developed countless tools and educational material including: Inundation maps, evacuation zones, web applications, tsunami evacuation signs, tutorials for seminars, held trainings, treaties, pamphlets, educational booklets, news media guides, and Tsunami Curriculums for schools.
For the year 2016, 46 municipalities acknowledged TsunamiReady from the NWS, 44 of which are coastal municipalities. Nowadays, the Seismic Network of Puerto Rico is working hard to implement the TsunamiReady Supporter Program into private sectors, mainly resorts, supermarkets and other facilities found in evacuation zones. It is a part of TsunamiReady, and to follow approval guidelines, we provide the focal points of tsunami alert 24/7, the systems of EMWIN, NOAA radios and content providers to improve the reception capacity of the Tsunami Alert Centers. We also provide technical assistance in the preparation of an emergency response plan.
This is a summary of the expectations of the TsunamiReady program following the new guidelines from June 1st, 2016. These program guidelines are divided into 3 parts, Mitigation, Preparation and Response:
| Mitigation: | Preparation: | Response: |
| MIT-1 Have designated and mapped tsunami hazard zones. | PREP-1 Produce easily understood tsunami evacuation maps as determined to be appropriate by local authorities. | RESP-1 Address tsunami hazards in the community's emergency operations plan (EOP). |
| MIT-2 Include tsunami hazard and community vulnerability information in the community's FEMA-approved multi-hazard mitigation plan. | PREP-2 Support an ongoing sustained tsunami public education effort. This effort should include the development and distribution of outreach materials. | RESP-2 Address tsunami hazards in the emergency operations plans (EOP) for all public schools in the tsunami hazard zone. |
| MIT-3 Install signage, as needed, that identifies for example: | PREP-3 Support an ongoing sustained tsunami education effort specific to public schools in coastal community pursuing TsunamiReady recognition. | RESP-3 Commit to supporting the emergency operations center (EOC) during tsunami incidents if an EOC is opened and activated. |
| (1) tsunami danger area and/or hazard zone (entering and leaving signs), evacuation routes, and assembly area; | PREP-4 Hold at least one community-wide outreach or education activity annually. | RESP-4 Have redundant and reliable means for a 24-hour warning point (and EOC if activated) to receive official tsunami watch, advisory, and warning alerts. |
| (2) provides tsunami response education (go to high ground). | PREP-5 Conduct community exercises that reinforce the concepts contained in PREP-1 through PREP-4. | RESP-5 Have redundant and reliable means for 24-hour warning point and/or EOC to disseminate official tsunami watch, advisory, and warning alerts to the public. |
| PREP-6 Conduct evacuation drills for all public schools in the mapped tsunami evacuation zone to reinforce the concepts contained in PREP-1 through PREP-4. | RESP-6 Have Public Alert-certified NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) receivers in critical facilities and public venues. | |
| RESP-7 Conduct emergency operations plan exercises that test at least one component of the community's EOP or one item from RESP-4 through RESP-6. |
