This week’s hurricanes in Puerto Rico are prompting leaders in the Virgin Islands to remind residents to be on alert.
The Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency (VITEMA) says it stands in solidarity with Puerto Rico, following the high-magnitude earthquakes which have impacted the region this week.
At this time, there are no tsunami watches or warnings issued for the U.S .Virgin Islands or Puerto Rico, but VITEMA says the increased occurrence of these earthquakes, which have caused infrastructure damage and power outages, places the U.S. Virgin Islands on alert.
Governor Albert Bryan said in a news release, “The recent earthquakes in Puerto Rico are a stark reminder that we have to ensure we are prepared for more than just hurricanes.” The Governor went on to say, “Our prayers are with the people of Puerto Rico today, and with the many Virgin Islanders who have loved ones residing on the island. While there is no current Tsunami threat, I am urging you all to remain calm but vigilant and to please pay attention to the alerts from VITEMA.”
So, Governor Bryan is encouraging all residents of the Virgin Islands to sign up for alerts. VITEMA can immediately notify citizens using the Integrated Public Alert & Warning System (IPAWS), of any emergency including advisories, alerts and warnings. Through IPAWS, real-time emergency notifications are sent to all cellphones, cable providers and radio broadcasters connected to towers in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
To make sure you receive real-time emergency notifications via cell phone calls, text messages, landlines, emails and TTY devices, residents should sign up to Alert VI on VITEMA’s Website
VITEMA Directord D. Jaschen says, “If we all do something today to prepare for these threats, we will be in a better position to recover and preserve life and property in the U.S. Virgin Islands.”
