No Alerts

For more information on these activities or to have your school or business participate in the month of activities, please contact the Department of Emergency Management at 438-7575

The following activities occurred:

  • Information Session Workshop for Public Officers
  • This session promoted an awareness to earthquakes and tsunamis to public officers and outlined personal safety measures to take during an emergency.

  • Tsunami and Earthquake Table Top Exercise – Central Bank of Barbados
  • This exercise appraised the Central Bank’s staff on earthquake and tsunami preparedness response through training and testing of their Emergency Response Management Team and their Security Personnel’s use of their Standard Operating Procedures.

  • Caribe Wave 16 Exercise
  • See section on Caribe Wave

  • Library Displays
  • Displays highlighting tsunami and earthquakes were set up at the following libraries:

    • Speightstown
    • Holetown
    • Eagle Hall
    • Tamarind Hall
    • Valley Resources Centre
    • Gall Hill
    • Six Roads
    • Main Library (Bridgetown)


  • National Preparedness Day
  • This was held on Friday, 18 March 2016 and was aimed at encouraging persons, businesses and schools to participate in an activity highlighting their knowledge or preparedness status on the tsunami and earthquake hazard.

  • Presentation to Barbados National Union of Fisherfolk Organisation
  • This session sensitized members on the effects of both earthquakes and tsunamis and other coastal hazards given the potential vulnerability of the fishing industry to these hazards.

  • Presentation to Barbados Association of Professional Engineers
  • This session was facilitated by Mr Lloyd Lynch, Instrumental Engineer with the University of the West Indies Seismic Research Center. Participants were informed on seismic hazards and risk and seismic hazards maps of the Windward Islands and Barbados.

    Schools Workshop facilitated by the University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre

    Workshops on tsunamis and earthquakes were held with the following schools:

    • Hilda Skeene Primary
    • Bayley's Primary
    • Bridgetown Seventh Day Adventist Primary
    • Selah Primary
    • Ignatius Byer Primary
    • Eagle Hall Primary
    • St Lucy Primary
    • Princess Margaret Secondary
    • Graydon Sealy Secondary
    • Daryll Jordan Secondary
    • Harrison College


  • Evacuation Drill – St Lawrence Primary School
  • The St Lawrence Primary School is located in St Lawrence, Christ Church the drill was conducted following several requests by the school to identify a safe zone in the event of an occurrence of a tsunami since the school is located in a vulnerable location.

The following activities occurred:

  • Agro Fest
  • A booth was set up at Agro Fest which displayed information on tsunamis and earthquakes. This provided the opportunity for students and the general public to learn more on tsunamis and earthquakes.

  • Press Launch
  • This officially started the month. It was highlighted that the likelihood of Barbados being impacted by tsunamis and earthquakes was increasing. Thus, the need for a comprehensive awareness programme geared towards educating the public on these hazards was reinforced.

  • Technical Presentation: Barbados’ Update of Digital Elevation Model by LiDAR survey
  • The presentation targeted stakeholders only and was delivered by Pelydryn. Pelydryn were sub-consulted by Baird & Associates to complete a LiDAR bathymetric and topographic survey for Barbados as part of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) funded CRMP project.

    The presentation set the context of the overall project and detailed:

    • • LiDAR system and components
    • • Survey methodology for data collection in Barbados
    • • Review of initial raw data
    • • Data processing procedures and
    • • Presentation of sample products

    • Presentation of Barbados School’s Model Emergency Operations Plan
    • This presentation targeted Principals and Senior Teachers of both primary and secondary schools who were given the opportunity to review the draft Schools’ Model Emergency Operations Plan which was developed for DEM through the support of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) under the CARICOM/BRASIL/FAO Cooperation Programme. The Plan has annexes of various hazards including earthquakes and tsunamis. It also specifies emergency procedures for evacuation.

    • Appearances on Down to Brass Tacks and Morning Barbados
    • Down to Brass Tacks focused on earthquakes and tsunamis and the role of DEM in the event of an occurrence of these hazards.

      Morning Barbados focused on earthquakes and tsunamis and the role of the University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre in providing information on seismic activity in the region.

    • Lunch Time Lecture
    • This session was hosted by Banks (Barbados) Breweries and facilitated by Dr Joan Latchman, Seismologist of the University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre. Businesses located in the Spring Garden Area were invited to this session since are extremely vulnerable to tsunamis and other coastal hazards.

    • Public Lecture
    • The lecture titled “Earthquakes and Tsunamis in Barbados” was geared at the general public and was held at the Queen’s Park Steel Shed. This lecture was done by Dr Joan Latchman, Seismologist of the University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre.

    • Schools Workshop Facilitated by the University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre
    • Workshops on tsunamis and earthquakes were held with the following schools:

      • Leacock’s Private Primary
      • Roland Edwards Primary
      • Chalky Mount Primary
      • St Bernard’s Primary
      • A DaCosta Edwards Primary
      • Halfmoon Fort Primary
      • St Lawrence Primary
      • Alma Paris Memorial
      • Alexandra School
      • Alleyne School


    • Library Displays
    • Displays highlighting tsunami and earthquakes were set up at the following libraries:

    • Speightstown
    • Holetown
    • Tamarind Hall
    • Main Library (Bridgetown)

    • Community Plan Focus Exercise Workshop
    • This workshop targeted the members of the District Emergency Organisation who are the volunteer arm of the DEM. The aim of the workshop was to assist the DEOs in developing their Disaster Management Plans and Standard Operating Procedures for their respective communities.

    • Caribe Wave 15 Exercise
    • See section on Caribe Wave

    • Movie Nights
    • Two movies were shown to the public:

      1) “Aftershock, Earthquake in New York” shown at the Dover Playing Field, Christ Church.

      2) “Tsunami the Aftermath” shown at Trents Playing Field, St James

The following activities occurred:

  • Press Launch
  • This officially started the month.

  • Appearances on Down to Brass Tacks and CBC Presents
  • These sessions were aimed at sensitizing the public on the tsunami and earthquake hazard.

  • Lunchtime Seminar
  • The lecture titled “Earthquake and Tsunamis in Barbados” was geared at the general public and was held at the Grand Salle of the Central Bank of Barbados. This lecture was done by Dr Joan Latchman, Seismologist of the University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre.

  • Volunteer Training Session
  • This workshop targeted the members of the District Emergency Organisation who are the volunteer arm of the DEM, The topic for the session was: “The Tsunami Hazard”.

  • Caribe Wave 15 Exercise
  • See section on Caribe Wave

  • Movie Nights
  • The movie “The Impossible” was shown at the Folkestone Park and Marine Reserve

  • Schools Workshop Facilitated by the University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre
  • Press Conference and launch of Caribe Wave 2013 Mascot competition


    Appearances on Down to Brass Tacks and CBC Presents


    Bus Tour


    Schools Workshop Facilitated by the University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre