U.S. Virgin Islands

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U.S. Virgin Islands Tsunami Ready

• Jacqueline J. Heyliger
• Deputy Director
• Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management
  Agency
• (VITEMA)
• National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program
• Waikiki Beach Marriott
• Honolulu, Hawaii
• October 31, 2007

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USVI Primary Hazards

• Hurricanes
• Earthquakes
• Tsunamis

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Tsunamis impacting the USVI

• 1867
• 1868
• 1918
• 1946

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Frederiksted, St. Croix 1867
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Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas 1867
The tsunami followed a devastating hurricane by
two weeks.
The La Plata takes the wave.
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Risk

• HOVENSA Oil Refinery
• Ports
• Hotels
• Businesses
• Residents

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U. S. Virgin Islands
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Transportation Between Islands

• Air
• Sea Plane
• Shuttle Flights
• Boat
• Ferry Services

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Sea Plane

• Primary transportation between St. Croix /
  St.Thomas

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Sea Plane
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Ferry Service

• Transportation between St. John and St. Thomas

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Ferry Service Red Hook
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(No Transcript)
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USVI Tsunami Ready Pilot Communities

• St. Croix
• Frederiksted Waterfront
• St. Thomas
• Brewers Bay
• St. John
• Coral Bay

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St. Croix

• Two (2) towns
• Christiansted
• Frederiksted

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Christiansted, St. Croix
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Frederiksted, St. Croix
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(No Transcript)
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St. Thomas Major Cruise Port
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St. Thomas - Waterfront
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Magens Bay, St. Thomas
Magens Bay Authority
Where should beach-goers run? How would you
inform them?
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Brewers BaySt. Thomas
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Cruz Bay St. John
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Coral Bay St. John
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NTHMP - Support
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VITEMA Partners

• University of the Virgin Islands
• Roy Watlington
• Puerto Rico Seismic Network
• Christa von Hillebrandt

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BUDGET 2008

• Task I
• MITIGATION/PREPAREDNESS 60,000
• Task II
• INUNDATION MODELING MAPPING 20,000
• Task III
• Tsunami Notification 200,000
• Task IV
• TSUNAMI READY 20,000
• Total 300,000

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USVI Actions/Proposals towards Tsunami
Readiness

• Educate EMC, etc. on tsunami warning and response
  
• Develop team on each Island to organize
  development of tsunami ready communities while
  educating public
• Identify 24/7 tsunami alert system
• Utilize expertise available for inundation
  mapping and modeling
• Identify locations and place tsunami warning
  systems

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Thank You