Last Friday, the Galion beach hosted a symbolic prevention operation: the installation of the first evacuation panels in case of'tsunami alert. A joint initiative of the State and the Collectivity of Saint-Martin, this action marks a new stage in the dissemination of risk culture on the island.
Around the prefect Cyrille Le Vély, the president of the COM Louis Mussington, Steven Cocks, president of the STIS, and its commander, Yannick Kervoëlen, several panels were unveiled. They indicate the route to follow to a secure area located more than ten meters high“The choice of the Galion is not insignificant,” Louis Mussington emphasized. “It is an iconic and popular location, but also one of the most exposed. Starting here sends a strong signal: we are showing the way towards a safer and more resilient island.”
Seven signs now mark the site, on a total of 439 planned across the territoryThis experimental device will be used to test the readability and effectiveness of the route before a definitive implementation, based on updated data. The director of major risks of the COM, Mélodie Illidge-Jenkins, and the head of the Interministerial Service for Defense and Civil Protection, Héloïse Mercuel, recalled that 80% of tsunamis are of seismic origin. Although these phenomena remain rare, the Antilles have already experienced several episodes, the most notable of which dates back to 1755, after the Lisbon earthquake.
This operation is part of Resilience Week and the scientific project Exploit, which aims to improve tsunami risk prevention and modeling in the French Antilles. As the prefect emphasized: “Everything is being done to ensure we are protected.” _Vx
https://faxinfo.fr/en/securite-des-panneaux-pour-mieux-se-preparer-au-risque-tsunami/
