«Sweat saves blood.»
The goal of this drill, organized by the Martinique Prefecture in late April, is to prepare emergency services to respond in the event of an eruption and to test the public warning systems. At the same time, this type of drill serves as a reminder to the public that natural hazards exist and that they need to be prepared for them.
Full-scale exercise
On April 29 and 30, the Prefecture of Martinique is organizing a simulation exercise of a Mount Pelée eruption in Saint-Pierre. «For two days, government agencies, local authorities, and civil defense personnel will be mobilized to: test the alert systems and general procedures of its departmental operations center (COD) and strengthen collective preparedness for major risks,» the Prefecture emphasizes on its social media accounts.
Residents may receive a «FR-Alert» message on their phones, accompanied by a loud ringtone. Don’t worry—this is just a drill, and residents do not have a specific role to play during these two days of the drill.
Natural Hazards & Resilience
An eruption of Mount Pelée is a natural hazard that government authorities take into account and strive to anticipate the potential consequences that might arise. The risk is very real for communities living near the volcano, as regularly reported in the weekly bulletins—in the form of seismic reports—from Martinique’s Volcanic and Seismological Observatory.
Last week, between April 3 and 10, the Martinique Volcanic and Seismological Observatory recorded 125 shallow «volcano-tectonic» earthquakes. «Of these, 7 had a magnitude (local magnitude Mlv or duration magnitude Md) greater than 5. The others were of lower energy,» according to the weekly report.
However, last week «no earthquakes were felt by the public,» scientists report, though they remain on alert to warn and prepare the public in the event of a natural disaster. The alert level is currently classified as «yellow,» according to experts, ruling out any immediate risk. Nevertheless, there is no such thing as zero risk, and the prefecture is reminding the public of the importance of preparing, with the first phase taking place on April 29 and 30.
SD
