Coastal Hazards and Earthquake Smart Month 2023 will be held under the theme: All Aboard with Coastal Resilience from Wednesday, March 1, to Friday, March 31.
This year’s activities will kick off with a launch at the Folkestone Park and Marine Reserve, Holetown, St. James, beginning at 10:00 a.m. on March 1.
This will be followed by an open day, which runs until 2:00 p.m. and will highlight the work and capabilities of various agencies, including the Barbados Fire Service, the Marine Police section of the Barbados Police Service, the Barbados Meteorological Services, the Barbados Defence Force and the Department of Emergency Management (DEM). It will also feature a cultural presentation from the Tuk Band and the Barbados Landship.
Then, on Friday, March 3, the public is invited to take part in the National Earthquake Preparedness Day Drill from 10:00 a.m. This activity is designed to increase earthquake awareness among residents and test earthquake procedures across the country. To take part in this event, persons are encouraged to activate an alert to signal an earthquake simulation at 10:00 a.m. This may be done by setting off alarms or bells.
Persons are expected to practise their respective earthquake drills by doing the ‘Drop, Cover and Hold’ procedure, and recording video footage and uploading to social media, tagging the DEM through its Facebook and Instagram pages.
On Tuesday, March 7, members of the public will have a chance to participate in a pop up question trivia show at Sol, Speightstown, St. Peter, from 10:00 a.m. during the Coastal Hazard Community Awareness Drive.
Activities continue on Saturday, March 11, when the Coastal Zone Management Unit hosts a Coastal Sundown walk from Martins Bay, St. John, to Bathsheba, St. Joseph, beginning at 3:00 p.m. This walk is geared towards showcasing the various coastal features along Barbados, and is a health and wellness family-oriented event for those five years and older. Buses are expected to leave Warrens Tower II, Warrens, St. Michael, at 2:15 p.m. sharp, en route to Martin’s Bay.
Climate Change and the Impacts on Barbados will be the focus on Sunday, March 12, when a team of experts – Director of the Coastal Zone Management Unit, Dr. Leo Brewster; Director of the Barbados Meteorological Services, Sabu Best, and Chief Fisheries Officer, Dr. Shelly-Ann Cox – appear on People’s Business at 8:00 p.m.
On Wednesday, March 22, Deputy Director of the DEM, Captain Robert Harewood, will be the featured speaker at the Insurance Corporation of Barbados’ virtual lunch time presentation at noon. He will present on coastal hazards.
The annual Caribe Wave Exercise comes off on Thursday, March 23, from 10:00 a.m. This will be followed by the Run Tsunami Run, on Sunday, March 26, beginning at 4:00 p.m. The 5K event will move off and climax at the Worthing Post Office, Worthing, Christ Church.