ICGNEAMTWS NEAMWave21 Tsunami Exercise

Resumen

NEAMWave21 TSUNAMI TEST and EXERCISE in the NORTH-EASTERN ATLANTIC, MEDITERRANEAN AND CONNECTED SEAS TO BE CONDUCTED FROM 8 MARCH TO 10 MARCH 2021 Countries in the North-eastern Atlantic, Mediterranean and Connected Seas (the NEAM region) will participate in a tsunami test and response exercise from 8 October to 10 March 2021. NEAMwave21 will coincide with the 10th anniversary of 11 March 2011 Tohoku Earthquake The purpose of this exercise is to evaluate local tsunami response plans, increase tsunami preparedness, and improve coordination throughout the region. It is the fourth such international exercise in this region after NEAMWave12 (2012), NEAMWave14 (2014), NEAMWave17 (2017). Regional and national tsunami warning systems in every ocean must maintain a high level of readiness so that all the actions relevant to the public’s safety can be provided effectively and efficiently during fast-onset and rapidly-evolving natural disasters such as tsunamis. To maintain a high state of operational readiness, National Tsunami Warning Centres (NTWCs) and Civil Protection agencies must regularly practice their emergency response procedures to ensure that vital communication links work seamlessly and that agencies and response personnel know the roles that they will need to play during an actual event. This important exercise will test the current procedures of the Tsunami Warning System and help identify operational strengths and weaknesses in each country. NEAMWave21 will simulate three regional widespread Tsunami Service situations, which require operationalization of national tsunami response plans and procedures.NEAMWave21 will involve the simulation of the assessment of tsunamis, based on earthquake driven scenario of a given magnitude has occurred and a tsunami has been generated. The scenarios will include message dissemination by Tsunami Service Providers (TSPs) and subsequent simulation of response actions by National Tsunami Warning Focal Points (TWFPs), National Tsunami Warning Centres (NTWCs) and Civil Protection Authorities in the NEAM region. Civil Protection Authorities have the option to carry out different types of exercises, i.e. an orientation, a drill, a table-top exercise, a functional exercise to a full-scale exercise with actual evacuation. One of the scenarios the North-eastern Atlantic – 1755 Lisbon Earthquake joint scenario executed by TSP CENALT (France) and-TSP IPMA (Portugal) will, in addition, simulate a request for international assistance through the Union Civil Protection Mechanism and the Emergency Response and Coordination Centre (ERCC) of the European Commission. Member States are encouraged to extend exercises to community level where appropriate if national sanitary measures related to Cov?d-19 pandemic allow. The three tsunami exercise scenarios that are prepared by the five message providers are as follows: 1) 8 March: Cyprian Arc- A joint earthquake scenario along the western segment of the Cyprian Arc by KOERI and NOA (7.7 Mw, 35.20 N, 31.70 E, 20 km depth). 2) 9 March: Calabrian Arc- An earthquake scenario offshore Southeastern Calabria and Eastern Sicily by INGV (7.9 Mw, 37.12 N, 16.95 E, 10 km depth). 3) 10 March: 1755 Lisbon Earthquake-A joint scenario by CENALT and IPMA (8.6 Mw, 35.5 N, 9.8 W, 5km depth) To facilitate the participation of the Member States in more than one scenario, each scenario will be conducted consecutively in one-day sessions for different regions of interest, thus avoiding overlapping. The NEAMWave21 Instruction Manual provides further details on the and the simulated the tsunami messages that will be broadcast in real-time by the Tsunami Service Providers. If any real tsunami threat occurs during the time period of the exercise, the exercise will be terminated. The exercise is coordinated by the UNESCO/IOC Intergovernmental Coordination Group for Tsunami and Other Coastal Hazards Warning System for the North-eastern Atlantic, Mediterranean and Connected Seas (ICG/NEAMTWS), supported by the Emergency Response and Coordination Center (ERCC) of the European Commissions of Civil Protection Mechanism. Contact: Denis Chang Seng, IOC, Tsunami Unit Email: d.chang-seng@unesco.org