By: Drizel Hanley
Basseterre, St. Kitts (THURSDAY 8th MARCH 2018)– According to the Antigua Met Service, in a publication issued on Saturday 3rd March, a massive low-pressure system is the cause of the large and dangerous battering swells, peaking in excess of 4 m (13 ft) that are now to pommeling the shorelines of several Caribbean islands including St. Kitts and Nevis.
Such high swells began on Sunday March 4th and is expected to last until tomorrow (Friday 9th March).
“Northly (northerly) swells will cause hazardous breaking waves (high surfs), life threatening rip currents and potentially flooding of some low-lying coastal areas. High surf (sea-bather) warning is in effect especially for exposed and shallow coastal areas”, the release stated.
To this end, a warning has been issued for sea bathers and persons living in coastal areas.
“Precautionary/preparedness actions: A high surf warning means that high surf will affect beaches in the warning area, producing beach erosion and especially dangerous swimming conditions. Beachgoers should avoid the waters, mainly on the northern sides of the islands,” the release added.
Videos circulating via social media, especially Facebook, showed sections of the Nevis Waterfront being pounded by the high waves.
Meanwhile, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) is condemning reports that indicates that the Federation is under Tsunami Watch.
In a press release issued Tuesday 6th March,NEMA pointed out that the information that is circulating is not current but relates to an earthquake that occurred in the Nicola Peninsula, Costa Rica, occurred on 5th September, 2012.
Consequently, the NEMA release stated, “The Department (NEMA) advises the general public that it considers the timing and dissemination of this message to be malicious in intent and persons should desist from circulating this message.”
National Disaster Coordinator Claricia Langley-Stevens also weighed in, noting that the rough seas and high surf alerts issued by the MET Service at the R L Bradshaw International Airport are not in any way related to tsunami activity. The type of waves have no connection with tsunami waves.
St. Kitts and Nevis is expected to participate in a regional tsunami drill on March 15th. The goal of this is to strengthen the knowledge of evacuation routes and communication patterns, and to assess the speed people would need [to get] from the unsafe zone to the safe ground.
Similar advisories are in affect for other Caribbean islands.