Tsunami advisory briefly issued for VI after strong Honduras quake
According to the Puerto Rico Seismic Network, the epicenter was located at latitude 17.5 north, longitude 83.6 west or approximately 1447 miles West of Road Town, Tortola at a depth of 20 miles.
The tsunami advisory issued for the Virgin Islands was subsequently cancelled.
Tsunami advisory cancelled
According to the DDM, if an earthquake poses only a potential marine tsunami threat to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, then a Tsunami Advisory will be issued. The Puerto Rico Seismic Network is the entity responsible for issuing such advisories for the [British] Virgin Islands.
A Tsunami Advisory means that that sea level is expected to repeatedly rise and fall by as much as 1 foot (0.3 meters) to 3.3 feet (1 meter) above and below the tide level in cycles that may take from five minutes to an hour. These sea level changes will be accompanied by dangerously strong and unusual near-shore ocean currents and minor flooding of harbors and beaches. This level of tsunami impact is a hazard to swimmers, surfers, divers, and others engaging in coastal ocean recreation or work activities. It is also a hazard to persons and boats in harbours.
The US Pacific Tsunami Warning Center had also said tsunami waves were possible for several countries in the Caribbean and Central America, as well as Mexico, following the magnitude-7.6 earthquake.
"Tsunami waves reaching 0.3 to 1 meters above the tide level are possible for some coasts of Belize, Cuba, Honduras, Mexico, the Cayman Islands and Jamaica," the agency said.
The earthquake struck just before 10:30 P.M. some 27 miles east of Great Swan Island, Honduras, at the relatively shallow depth of 10 kilometers, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.
Tsunamis can travel over 800 kilometers per hour (500 miles) at the deepest point of the water, but they slow as they near the shore, eventually hitting the shore at around 30 to 50 kph (20 to 30 mph). The energy of the wave's speed is transferred to height and sheer force as it nears shore.
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24 Responses to “Tsunami advisory briefly issued for VI after strong Honduras quake”
aster the field you were called to do especially when you have people lifes at steak. thise positions are not joy ride positions.
We live in both a hurricane and earthquake zone and for that reason we should have top class equipment and facilities. We should have experts who would be able to alert us and figure out how to do it in a timely manner. I don’t believe that the people of the Virgin Islands would object to having monies spent to build, equip and staff (skilled, experienced personnel is a must) such a facility. We deserve better. We should not be sitting ducks.
You are heaf on .
Our passports was collected and the captain said we will meet by Customs in Road Town to clear the boat and passangers in the morning. Everyone on the boat was BVI residence, the next thing you know We are told the head of customs ordered the captain to put everyone back on the boat and sail to Road Town!
We all packed a boat full of luggage and 12 people back on the boat and took on rough seas and huge waves to check in Road Town. Some of the passengers had to be begged to get back on the boat. Others had small children from 3 to 8 years old.
Now we learn in addition to the horrible weather and small craft warning, we might have been caught in the middle of a Tsunami and end up dead for what good reason? Why are not more understanding after Irma? St. Thomas has hardly no hotel rooms and what is available is $300.00 plus. Another 4-6 tourist was left in St. Thomas with a hope that the boat would come back to pick them up. My point is simple why leave locals stuck and put their lives in danger trying to get to Road Town during rough weather and why leave the very few tourist who are visiting us stuck in Stt spending money on a hotel, food and transportation in the USVI when that money could be spent in the BVI.
We are making it hard on our own people to get home and impossible for tourist to get to the BVI even when an option exist.
We can do better!!!