World Tsunami Awareness Day 5th November 2019. |06 November 2019
Seychelles joins the rest of the world to commemorate the World Tsunami Awareness Day, which is celebrated on the 5th November annually. Tsunami is one of the world’s deadliest disaster known and as a small island developing state (SIDS) Seychelles has also not been spared from such a disaster. Following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, three people were killed and in order to ensure that no more lives are lost and properties are affected, the Department would like to share with the general public certain tips which can come in handy in times of Tsunami.
How a Tsunami works?
Most tsunamis are caused by large earthquakes below or near the ocean floor. [1] A plate shifts abruptly, causing an earthquake, and displacing water. [2] Waves are generated and move out in all directions across the ocean, some travelling as fast as 600 miles per hour. [3]As waves enter shallow water they compress and their speed slows as they build in height. [4]The wave height increases, and associated currents intensify becoming a threat to life and assets.
Seychelles Early Warning System
When a tsunami generates, Regional tsunami warning service providers from Australia, India and Indonesia issues an advisory warning to the Seychelles national tsunami warning centre (Seychelles Meteorology Authority).
Following that the Seychelles Meteorology Authority issues the advisory to the Department of Risk and Disaster Management (DRDM). The DRDM then issues a red colour alert to all emergency liaison officers and media houses. The media houses then informs the general public.
Colour Coding Tsunami Alert
When a tsunami warning alert issues from the National Tsunami Warning Centre (Met Office), a red alert (colour code) will be issued to the public. Immediately as the red alert is issued the Met office will be on alert and on tsunami watch. Within one hour of the first warning if confirmation of tsunami is determine, the DRDM will issue evacuation orders to the public.
Once the alert has been issued and a grace period of one to two hours has been observed and it is noticed that there are no signs of a tsunami being generated, the risk level will decrease from the colour code red to orange.
If there are no imminent threats, a cancellation notice will be issued, and the level 1 green colour code alert will be applied for stand down.
Tsunami Natural Warning System
