Today, Sunday, 5 November 2023, the Disaster Management Coordination Agency (DMCA) unites with the global community to observe World Tsunami Awareness Day.

Tsunamis are rare, but their impact can be highly deadly and devastating. A tsunami is a series of enormous waves created by an underwater disturbance usually associated with earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, submarine landslides, and coastal rock falls.

Tsunamis are often accompanied by natural signs: FEEL, SEE, HEAR, RUN. Therefore, it’s vital residents and visitors on Montserrat know the tsunami warning signs when they’re at the beach before a wave strikes to save their lives.

If you’re near the shoreline and feel a strong or long earthquake, see a sudden rise or fall of the ocean or hear a loud roar from the ocean, a tsunami may follow. This is your warning. Run to higher ground as fast as you can.

World Tsunami Awareness Day is being held under the theme of ‘Fighting Inequality for a Resilient Future’. The main objective is to raise awareness about reducing the risks created by tsunamis and improving community preparedness on Montserrat.

In December 2015, the UN General Assembly designated 5th November as World Tsunami Awareness Day.