Mark Walters, State Director

1
VITEMA's Report to the NTHMP

• Mark Walters, State Director
• and
• Al Javois, Chair,
• VI Territorial Tsunami Preparedness Working
  Group
• NTHMP Annual Workshop
• Pasadena, CA
• January ___, 2010

2
Accomplishments
? The accomplishment that has allowed the Virgin
Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency
(VITEMA) to successfully petition the NTHMP

• The signing of Legislative Act 7074, by Governor
  John deJongh into law on July 20, 2009
• VITEMA is now provided with a more efficient
  organizational structure for emergency response
• Governor deJongh nominated Mark A. Walters as the
  VITEMA State Director and the VI Legislature
  approved his nomination
• The new State Director returned tsunami
  readiness to top VITEMA priority

3
Issues

• Previous efforts towards tsunami readiness had
  not developed at the same pace on the different
  islands St Croixs progress was not matched by
  other islands.
• Previous funding support had not be activated.

4
Solutions
? A tsunami ad hoc committee had been formed on
the island of St. Croix as a pilot project with
the following sub-committees

• Communications
• Warning Committee
• Education and Outreach Committee
• Field reconnaissance at potential tsunami-ready
  sites

? When the TTPWG was formed, the ad hoc
committees achievements were assimilated in to
the TTPWG
5
Territorial Tsunami Preparedness Working Group
(TTPWG)

• The TTPWG assimilated the activities and members
  from the pre-existing ad hoc committee
• The formation of the TTPWG included non-VI
  government membership that had not been engaged
  before

• HOVENSA Oil Refinery
• Virgin Islands National Park (VINP)
• Magens Bay Authority

6
Territorial Tsunami Preparedness Working Group
(TTPWG)
7
Selection of Sites for Tsunami Readiness Pilot
Projects

• Site Selection Decision Matrix deployed
• Criteria included
• population density
• location and elevation of site
• proximity to safe areas
• feasibility of achieving tsunami readiness
• Five sites chosen Cruz Bay, Frederiksted,
  Frenchtown, Gallows Bay, Magens Bay