Above: St Croix

By the Caribbean Journal staff

The United States Virgin Islands’ Territorial Emergency Management Agency will soon be receiving a $263,072 grant for tsunami preparedness.

The grant is coming from the United States’ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, aiming to help carry out tsunami preparedness and warning activities in the territory.

“I would like to commend the dedicated staff at VITEMA and Director Elton Lewis for their hard work in promoting awareness of the dangers of tsunami and other natural disasters, as well as the upgrades to the alert and warning system,” USVI Congresswoman Donna Christensen said in a statement.

The funds will support VITEMA’s Territorial Tsunami Preparedness and Education Initiative.

That will include the implementation of warning activities, including information distribution and the installation of evacuation signs throughout the territory.

The USVI already has 14 tsunami warning signs in the territory.