LANTEX09: Response from the PRSN Tsunami Exercise for PR/VI, Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico:

April 2, 2009

Puerto Rico Seismic Network

To improve the effectiveness of the tsunami alert system for Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, the East Coast of the united States, and Canada.

This exercise is an opportunity for emergency managers to test operational communications, revise the protocols for a tsunami response, and promote preparation before the phenomenon.

Exercise Objectives

Test our operational response system to emergencies in case of a tsunami.

General objectives:◦ Ensure that the transmission of the tsunami

messages are coordinated.◦ Try using the plans in a potential tsunami scenario◦ Identify a process to transmit the “all clear”

notification.

Objectives

Orientation - Seminars

Drill –walk-through of procedures, test individual units within the plan

Tabletop – facilitator, participant

Functional - player, simulator, controller, evaluator

Full-Scale – Responder, controller, evaluator, Victim

Types of Exercise

Guayama Arroyo Patillas Salinas Santa Isabel

Municipalities interested in participating in LANTEX 09 exercise in Puerto Rico

Municipalities that will participate in LANTEX 09 exercise in Puerto Rico Mayagüe

z Rincón Lajas Añasco

Vega Baja

Dorado Carolina

Aguadilla

April 2 2009, 13:00 UTC (9:00 AM AST) Great Earthquake; M: 8.6 Location: 65 mi/105 km NE of Fajardo Puerto Rico

◦ North Coast of Puerto Rico◦ Latitude: 19.0 N, Longitude: 65.0 W◦ Ruptured fault

Tsunami ◦ Destructive in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands◦ Moderate in the Atlantic Coast of the US and Canada◦ Minor in the Gulf of Mexico

Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands◦ Maximum inundation expected

Scenario

Tsunami Model Maximum

Amplitude model maximums

Rincón (PR): 1.67 m, Road Town (BVI): 0.31 m,Jost van Dyke (BVI): 2.59 m

Table1: Timeline of the response from the PRSN

Messages

Date Local time

WCATWC Mensaje o Respuesta de RSPR

# Exercise message

# PRSN bulletin

Message TypePRSN

FaxPRSN

Ring Down,Tel. SAT,

Private LineComments

04/02/2009 9:00 am --- --- --- --- ---Time of earthquake, ProtectionEAS (code RWT)

04/02/2009 9:02 am --- --- --- --- ---Revision ofAUTO LOCEarly Bird / WORM01

04/02/2009 9:03 am --- 00 --- --- YesThe Tsunami Protocol of the PRSN is activated

04/02/2009 9:05 am 01-Dummy WCATWC 01

Bulletin and Warning message

YesNo Yes

Bulletin of felt event and tsunami and Warning message. Tsunami has not been confirmed-Boradcast.

04/02/2009 9:35 am 02 02Bulletin and

Warning message

YesNo Yes

Bulletin of felt event and tsunami and Warning message. Tsunami has been confirmed

Messages (Table1, Continued)

Date Local time

WCATWC PRSN Message or Response

# Exercise Message

# PRSN bulletin

Message TypePRSN

FaxPRSN

Ring Down,Tel. SAT,

Private LineComments

04/02/2009 10:05 am 03 03 Warning No YesTsunami WarningTsunami has been confirmed

04/02/2009 10:35 am 04 04 Warning No YesTsunami WarningTsunami has been confirmed

04/02/2009 11:35 am 05 05 Warning No YesTsunami WarningTsunami has been confirmed

04/02/2009 12:35 pm 06 06 Warning No YesTsunami WarningTsunami has been confirmed

04/02/2009 1:35 pm 07 07Bulletin and

Advisory Message

YesNo Yes

Tsunami Advisory

04/02/2009 3:35 pm 09 09 Advisory No Yes Tsunami Advisory

04/02/2009 4:35 pm 10 10 Advisory No Yes Tsunami Advisory

04/02/2009 5:35 pm 11 11 Advisory No Yes Tsunami Advisory

04/02/2009 6:35 pm 12 12 Advisory No Yes Tsunami Advisory

04/02/2009 7:35 pm 13 13 Bulletin and CAN message

YesNo Yes

Bulletin of felt event and tsunami and Cancellation message for PR/VI.

04/02/2009 8:35 pm 14 --- --- --- --- ---

04/02/2009 9:35 pm 15-CAN --- --- --- ---Cancellation of Tsunami Exercise

Warning

Advisory

PUERTO RICO

Earthquake

CANCEL

WCATWC will not emit messages in real time.

“WCATWC DUMMY Message”◦ Will be sent at 9:05 AM to begin the exercise.

Messages

Message #1 Warning

Tsunami has NOT been confirmed

There will be a total of 15 messages

Example of WCATWC Message

Example of PRSN MessageMessage #1 Warning

Tsunami has NOT been confirmed

There will be a total of 15 messages.PRSN will only emit 13 messages for PR/VI.

9:05 am AST

Example of WCATWC Message

Message #2 Warning

Tsunami has been confirmed

Example of Message from PRSNMessage #2 Warning-Tsunami has been Confirmed

Example of WCATWC Message

Message #7 Advisory

Example of Message from PRSNMessage #7 Advisory

Example of WCATWC messageMessage #13 Cancellation for PR/VI

Example of Message from PRSNMessage #13 Cancellation

Official Bulletin 1 sent by Fax

Official Bulletin 2 sent by Fax

Official Bulletin 7 sent by Fax

Official Bulletin 13 sent by Fax

Tsunami Travel Times

Message 1: Tsunami has not been confirmed Message 2-Warning:

◦ CHARLOTTE AMALIE, USVI 18.3 N 64.9 O 9:15 AM 2.5 FT/0.77 M◦ ISLA DE CULEBRA, PR 18.3 N 65.3 O 9:17 AM 3.0 FT/0.93 M◦ LAMESHUR BAY, ST JOHNS 18.3 N 64.7 O 9:22 AM 3.5 FT/1.05 M

Message 3:◦ CHARLOTTE AMALIE, USVI 18.3 N 64.9 O 9:50 AM 6.8 FT/2.06 M◦ ISLA DE CULEBRA, PR 18.3 N 65.3 O 9:45 AM 6.5 FT/1.98 M◦ LAMESHUR BAY, ST JOHNS 18.3 N 64.7 O 9:47 AM 6.0 FT/1.82 M◦ FAJARDO, PR 18.3 N 65.6 O 9:52 AM 4.7 FT/1.43 M◦ SAN JUAN, PR 18.5 N 66.1 O 9:56 AM 3.5 FT/1.06 M◦ CHRISTIANSTED HARBOR, USVI 17.8 N 64.7 O 9:59 AM 3.9 FT/1.20 M

Message 4:◦ CHARLOTTE AMALIE, USVI 18.3 N 64.9 O 10:30 AM 7.7 FT/2.34 M◦ ISLA DE CULEBRA, PR 18.3 N 65.3 O 10.20 AM 7.7 FT/2.35 M◦ LAMESHUR BAY, ST JOHNS 18.3 N 64.7 O 10:25 AM 7.4 FT/2.26 M◦ FAJARDO, PR 18.3 N 65.6 O 10:15 AM 7.8 FT/2.37 M◦ SAN JUAN, PR 18.5 N 66.1 O 10:10 AM 6.6 FT/2.00 M◦ CHRISTIANSTED HARBOR, USVI 7.8 N 64.7 O 10:00 AM 6.9 FT/2.10 M◦ ARECIBO, PR 18.5 N 66.7 O 10:22 AM 9.0 FT/2.75 M◦ MAYAGÜEZ, PR 18.2 N 67.2 O 10:23 AM 5.3 FT/1.61 M◦ YABUCOA, PR 18.1 N 65.8 O 10:20 AM 3.6 FT/1.11 M

Tsunami Travel Times

Message 5:◦ CHARLOTTE AMALIE, USVI 18.3 N 64.9 O 10:30 AM 7.7 FT/2.34 M◦ ISLA DE CULEBRA, PR 18.3 N 65.3 O 10.20 AM 7.7 FT/2.35 M◦ LAMESHUR BAY, ST JOHNS 18.3 N 64.7 O 10:25 AM 7.4 FT/2.26 M◦ FAJARDO, PR 18.3 N 65.6 O 10:15 AM 7.8 FT/2.37 M◦ SAN JUAN, PR 18.5 N 66.1 O 10:10 AM 6.6 FT/2.00 M◦ CHRISTIANSTED HARBOR, USVI 17.8 N 64.7 O 10:00 AM 6.9 FT/2.10 M◦ ARECIBO, PR 18.5 N 66.7 O 10:22 AM 9.0 FT/2.75 M◦ MAYAGÜEZ, PR 18.2 N 67.2 O 10:23 AM 5.3 FT/1.61 M◦ YABUCOA, PR 18.1 N 65.8 O 10:20 AM 3.6 FT/1.11 M

Message 7-Advisory Message 13:

◦ Cancellation for Puerto Rico/Virgin Islands

WEB Productshttp://redsismica.uprm.edu Website for LANTEX 09 LANTEX09 Official Guides (English and Spanish) PRSN Guide for the exercise (English and Spanish)

◦ Message Table◦ Spanish and English messages◦ Evaluation

Exercise PowerPoint Slides (PRSN) Posters of Tsunami Messages

◦ English and Spanish Bulletin of Felt Earthquake and Tsunami for the

exercise◦ Shake Map

Previous Activities Tabletop PRSN:

◦ 12/March (9:00 am) Training LANTEX 09-AEMEAD

◦ AMEAD Zone Directors◦ 13/March (9:30 am) San Juan

Drill Vigilant Guard PRSN◦ 24/March (8:00 am)

Conference Calls (February-March) Webinar:

◦ All participants◦ 26/March 1:00 pm

Meeting Pre-LANTEX PRSN◦ 30/March (10:30 am)

Meeting Post-LANTEX PRSN◦ Evaluation

Official Evaluation of the Exercise

Official Evaluation of the PRSN

Website:http://redsismica.uprm.edu Telephone: (787)833-8433

Christa von Hillebrandt-Andrade, MSc◦ Directora RSPR◦ Email: christa@prsn.uprm.edu

Operational contact: Geol. Gisela Báez-Sánchez

◦ Email:gisela@prsn.uprm.edu Geol. Daniel Laó Dávila, PhD

◦ Email: daniel@prsn.uprm.edu

Drill contact: Mrs. Wildaomaris González

◦ Email:wilda@prsn.uprm.edu

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