The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM) yesterday presented a Public Warning and Information System (PWIS) to the National Security Council aimed at creating further awareness when natural disasters strike.
The ODPM's chairman Dr Stephen Ramroop yesterday warned T&T could "very likely" be hit by a tsunami.He, however, did not say when that could be expected. Ramroop said in putting together the PWIS, his team met with different ministers to implement more effective measures, including better flood management and how to access shelters quickly.
"What the municipalities have to do is go to the areas that are frequently impacted by flood, make sure the people have their sandbags so that even before the warning signs are coming up you are ready," Ramroop said.
He was fielding questions from members of the media at the eight session of the Inter-governmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) at Capital Plaza, Port-of-Spain.If a warning has to sent to people to evacuate a certain area Ramroop said efforts were being made to incorporate technology so that SMS messages could be sent to those people only."And while we are doing that we will send messages to the police, army and coast guard," Ramroop added.
In the event of tsunami, Ramroop said it was important to use satellite images which show particular wave heights to come up with a "forecasting."He added: "This is something that could happen using statistical analysis that is basically what early warning systems try to do."No matter how advanced are your early warning systems and you might get the best messages coming in you must get that to the people in the villages and those living particularily near the sea."
Saying it was integral all agencies played their parts, Ramroop recommended that community centres be built on high ground.In some cases of flooding Ramroop said, that was caused by people deliberately blocking drains with gravel as they constructed their homes."That is a serious problem and the Government can't keep clearing the drains that people are blocking up," Ramroop added.On the issue of fires he said some were caused naturally but many were deliberately set due to slash-and-burn agriculture.