The Federated States of Micronesia has a system in place to respond to a tsunami threat.
“Yes we still receive information from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC) in Hawaii. However, the decision to declare a warning for tsunami is now our own responsibility,” says Eden Skilling, a Meteorological Officer from FSM.
When a tsunami threat is received from the PTWC, the FSM Meteorological Service, the national focal point for tsunami, will analyse and evaluate the information before it is sent to the Disaster Co-ordinator Office.
“There, the Director and the Governor will meet and call a taskforce to discuss the tsunami information and its level of threat before a warning is sent to the people, Skilling said.
When the decision is taken to warn the populace, the taskforce will use all available communication system to disseminate the warning.
“The faster the message gets sent, the better response time for people to take action to save their families and properties.
A challenge pointed out by Mr.Skilling is how to inform people when there is a power outage.
“What taskforce will do is ask the Police, who are also in the taskforce, to manually relay the tsunami threat or warning. Because you just can’t use the phone or the radio,” Skiling said.