Off the coast of Portugal, there is an 8.6 magnitude earthquake 5 kilometers deep, equivalent to the 1755 earthquake that destroyed Lisbon. As a consequence of this earthquake, a tsunami takes place that seriously affects the Portuguese and Spanish coast of the peninsula and the Canary Islands. The tsunami devastates Cadiz. It is the starting point of the international tsunami preparedness exercise ‘Newmwave21’ that took place this Wednesday, organized under the auspices of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission.
Since 10.06 am, when the exercise began, a request for international aid has been simulated. Thus, it has connected with the Caribbean tsunami warning system, due to the possible arrival of waves, to carry out a transoceanic exercise. All this was coordinated by the Tsunami Warning Center of France (CENALT) and the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA).
According to the organization, a tsunami is caused by an underwater or coastal earthquake that occurs at a depth of fewer than 50 kilometers and has a magnitude of at least 6.5 on the Richter scale. Earthquakes with a magnitude greater than 8.7 – such as Japan on March 11, 2011, and Sumatra on December 26, 2004 (9.2) – trigger large tsunamis that cause coastal flooding. Thus, the objective of the exercise has been to assess local action plans put in place to respond to tsunami risk, increase preparedness for such events, and initiate good overall coordination.
Tabletop Drill
The national tsunami warning centers in the Spanish case the National Geographic Institute (IGN) – and the Civil Protection authorities must regularly test their intervention procedures in case of emergency. This includes ensuring that vital communication links are operational, that responders are fully aware of their role, and therefore act as quickly as possible during such an event. The health situation of the Covid-19 pandemic limits the possibilities of its development to avoid contagion, so this time it is a table exercise that has consisted, fundamentally, in the exchange of information (communications) between the different institution’s participants in the drill about the earthquakes allegedly occurred and their consequences.
The participation of the Civil Protection Unit of the Government Sub-delegation in Cádiz has consisted of waiting and confirming the receipt of emails with information about the event, the height and arrival of the first wave and subsequent waves according to (theoretical) information provided by the tide gauges of Portugal and those of Spain located in the Gulf of Cadiz.
The drill has consisted of three phases. The A, monitoring and dissemination of the alert messages that have arrived from the scene, following the communication protocols that have been established. The B, development of the alert, which in the case of Cádiz implies the Junta de Andalucía in the development of the table exercise with the adoption of the first measures. And phase C, with the rehearsal of the response of the European Civil Protection Mechanism to the request for extraordinary means that were not available in the country. The role of the Cadiz Civil Protection Unit has been to request and offer help in the scenario of the Lisbon earthquake, the only one that has activated the aforementioned European Mechanism.
In this way, until 1:37 p.m. there have been 15 communications that have been developed optimally. From March 8 to 10, three drills were held within the framework of the ‘Newmwave21’ exercise. This Tuesday an earthquake was simulated between Sicily and the Italian peninsula, which caused a tsunami that affected the coasts of the Valencian Community. The exercise will end with a videoconference this Thursday, March 11, in which the Autonomous Communities, the National Geographic Institute, and the DGPCE (General Directorate of Civil Protection Spain) participate, to present the experiences and lessons learned, highlight the problems that have arisen. observed and draw up conclusions that can be used to improve procedures and better implementation of the next state plan and regional plans.
