VITEMA to Test Tsunami Sirens 10:15 AM Tomorrow; Evacuation Drills Planned for Ulla Muller School, VI Legislature, WAPA

Guess St. John and St. Croix don't count?

Information on STJ and STX are all on the VITEMA website
http://www.vitema.gov/
and were also noted on local TV news. Fully covered in Source and Consortium too and, I'm sure, in the print newspapers.

You may have received only STT as I think you mentioned that you get email updates from VITEMA and likely they're specific to the island you live on.

Thanks. Didn't see anything on Source, Consortium or Daily News when I looked, early this morning. I thought it odd that all islands weren't participating as such an event would impact all our islands. I do get email alerts so they're probably, indeed, island specific. I'll see if I hear it this time as I'll be home when sirens are supposed to go off.

I don't remember hearing it last year. Will keep my ears open tomorrow, you'd think that close to Magens I'd hear it.

On Oahu they test the system monthly. There are just a few sirens that I know of, one near Divi, another at Crammer Park and one in C'sted by the Govt parking lot. Not nearly enough.

Here's an update that I just received that includes info on STJ &STX.
Headline: VITEMA Tsunami Siren Test and Evacuation Drills Planned for 10:15 AM Today

VITEMA will test tsunami sirens territorywide at 10:15 a.m. today as part of a Caribbean region tsunami response exercise titled Caribe Wave 16. Evacuation drills are also planned on St. Croix, St. Thomas and St. John.

Evacuation Drills:

St. Croix - Juanita Gardine Elementary School, VI Legislature, VI WAPA

St. Thomas - Ulla Muller Elementary School, VI Legislature, VI WAPA

St. John - Julius Sprauve School, VI Legislature, VI WAPA

Siren locations:

St. Thomas: Cyril E. King Airport, Crown Bay, Addelita Cancryn School, Griffith Park, Magen’s Bay Beach, Mandela Circle, Long Bay, Enid Baa Library, Coki Point Beach, Frydenhoj, Red Hook.

St. Croix: Cramer’s Park; Divi Carina Bay; DC Canegata Ball Park; Government Parking Lot— Christiansted; Estate Sion Farm; William’s Delight; La Vallee; Government Parking Lot— Frederiksted; Fisher Street—Frederiksted; Sprat Hall—Frederiksted.

St. John: Winston Wells Park, Cruz Bay; Guy Benjamin School at Coral Bay.

Motorists are advised to proceed with extreme caution in areas where evacuation drills are being conducted.

On Oahu they test the system monthly. There are just a few sirens that I know of, one near Divi, another at Crammer Park and one in C'sted by the Govt parking lot. Not nearly enough.

There are more.

So did they start on time?
I haven't heard a thing.

Then call them - they've been blasting loud and clear for the last ten minutes.

Just went outside to listen. Straining to hear it.
I can vaguely hear something that might be a siren but the sounds of the waves are louder than the siren and if I weren't actively searching for a unknown sound, that's barely recognizable, I'd never hear it.

Pretty strange since you're just 2 hillsides, mol, away.

Ok this will make Old Tart happy!

I CALLED Vitema

I called to let them know that no one in my office heard the sirens today.
Our office is located next to the Henry E Rohlson Airport.

I did note that the Vitema website stated: Sirens on St. Croix, St. Thomas and St. John are set to activate at approximately 10:15 a.m. on Thursday, March 17th. Anyone standing outdoors and within a mile of a siren may hear the alert tone and voice message.

So we are indoors and the closest siren is at William's Delight. I guess that's why we didn't hear it.

Why would that make me "happy" or elicit any emotion from me? The whole point of testing the system is (a) to make sure it's operating properly and (b) that it's heard by the maximum number of people possible. If you know the system's being tested and you don't hear it then it's plain common sense to call the number(s) provided and let them know.

never hear it where i am

Because you admonish people to call. So it seemed to me that the fact that someone called would make you happy. I see I was wrong lol.

Why would that make me "happy" or elicit any emotion from me? The whole point of testing the system is (a) to make sure it's operating properly and (b) that it's heard by the maximum number of people possible. If you know the system's being tested and you don't hear it then it's plain common sense to call the number(s) provided and let them know.

Didn't hear it today either. Then I remembered I was running a chainsaw at the time. Maybe next year

Because you admonish people to call.

"Admonish" is a harsh term for simply providing sensible information. It makes a heck of a lot more sense to call (as VITEMA requests) than to post on a forum.

Ok my apologies for the harsh use of the word "admonish"
😀

Because you admonish people to call.

"Admonish" is a harsh term for simply providing sensible information. It makes a heck of a lot more sense to call (as VITEMA requests) than to post on a forum.

Actually it's not that harsh in all cases!

See the second definition below: to advise or urge (someone) earnestly.

In this case I think my usage of the word is very apt.

ad·mon·ish
verb

warn or reprimand someone firmly.
"she admonished me for appearing at breakfast unshaven"
synonyms: reprimand, rebuke, scold, reprove, reproach, upbraid, chastise, chide, berate, criticize, take to task, read the riot act to, rake/haul over the coals;

advise or urge (someone) earnestly.
"she admonished him to drink no more than one glass of wine"
synonyms: advise, recommend, counsel, urge, exhort, bid, enjoin;

archaic
warn (someone) of something to be avoided.
"he admonished the people against the evil of such practices"

If you can't hear it you're not in the tsunami zone, that's a good thing. I did hear it - very very loud in Fsted. Woke me up actually - yes I sleep in that late lol! Eerie hearing any type of sirens and gives me serious anxiety. I guess from tornado sirens as a kid.

I did watch or read something recently on the fact that our plates off north drop haven't had a big shift in a lot of years and they're predicting a big one in less than 10. Scary thought. This planet is so powerful and so impressive.

I heard it loud and clear on St. John as well. My office is in Sirenusa and I was outside at the time. Funny enough, I heard the KIDS at JESS over the sirens! I watched them excitedly trek up Centerline road to the 7th Day church. It was my guess that, that is how far they would have to go to be out of the danger zone. St. John isn't very flat.

I did watch or read something recently on the fact that our plates off north drop haven't had a big shift in a lot of years and they're predicting a big one in less than 10. Scary thought. This planet is so powerful and so impressive.

In my first year here, over 30 years ago, exactly the same thing was reported by a group of eminent seismologists who predicted a major earthquake in the region within the next 10-15 years. I guess our tectonic plates are on island time.

Tsunami warning siren or not, the islands would utter chaos if we had a real one.
I just can't imagine the orderly evacuation of anything in our downtown or other low lying lying areas. You'd have to abandon your cars and run for the nearest hill.

Tsunami warning siren or not, the islands would utter chaos if we had a real one.
I just can't imagine the orderly evacuation of anything in our downtown or other low lying lying areas. You'd have to abandon your cars and run for the nearest hill.

It would be utter chaos ANYWHERE. Have you not seen videos of previous tsunamis? Expecting people to behave in an orderly manner facing possible death is not realistic.

Yes, I have which is why I said what I did.