Although no activities have been planned to mark the day, the Disaster Management Coordination, DMCA continues to erect warning, evacuation route and rendezvous points signs on all beaches on the western coastlines of Montserrat. Knowing the warning signs and the right action to take can help save lives.

Montserrat has been impacted by tsunamis in the past. There have been three occasions when collapses of the dome entered the sea and generated tsunamis on Montserrat.

They are the December 26, 1997 collapse in White River valley that generated a small tsunami in Old Road Bay and the collapses on July 13, 2003, and May 20, 2006, that, generated wave heights around the Tar River Valley up to 6-8 metres.

These tsunamis were very localised and would not have been seen at other locations.

World Tsunami Day is observed annually on November 5. The theme for this year is “Early Warning and Early Action Before Every Tsunami”. Tsunamis can be deadly, but they needn’t be. Early warning and early action are effective tools to protect people, save lives, and prevent the hazard from becoming a disaster.