Dominica joined the United Nations to recognize World Tsunami Awareness Day on 5 November, 2018

The Office of Disaster Management (ODM) in Dominica along with the United Nations and disaster management agencies worldwide, on Monday November 5^th, recognize what is dubbed as World Tsunami Awareness Day.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM), the UN migration agency, also participated in recognizing World Tsunami Awareness Day and in raising awareness and preparedness in the local communities, in support of the ODM.

Maxine Alleyne-Esprit is the Community Engagement Assistant with the International Organization for Migration.

Alleyne-Esprit says that Tsunami’s are rare, but their impact is enormous, hence, the ODM saw the need to increase focus on this low frequency but potentially high impact event for the region.

Tsunamis are the natural hazard which causes the most severe destruction including loss of life, accounting for over 250,000 deaths and US$280 billion recorded economic losses between 1998-2017.

According to the ODM, the Eastern Caribbean was last affected by a Tsunami in the 18th Century.