BVI on high alert for earthquakes
Published:Sunday | January 19, 2020 | 10:53 AM
TORTOLA, British Virgin Islands, CMC – The British Virgin Islands (BVI) is now on high alert following the recent increase in earthquakes in the region.
According to the Information and Education Manager with the Department of Disaster Management Chrystall Kanyuck-Abel, the organisation is keeping a close eye on all earthquake-related activity.
“We are definitely on high alert right now, basically meaning we are monitoring the situation in Puerto Rico very closely and our staff here is in daily contact with the staff at the Puerto Rico Seismic Network,” Kanyuck-Abel said in an interview with online publication BVI News.
She added that the frequency of tremors within the last month has left seismic authorities baffled and has even resulted in the creation of new terminologies to describe the recent chain of events.
“We are experiencing a seismic swarm, which has been a series (of earthquakes) which began in late December,” she said.
The most recent tremor rocked St Lucia and two other Caribbean islands on Friday.
The centre said the quake was felt 95 km north east of Fort-de-France, Martinique, 124km north east of Castries, St Lucia and 132 km south east of Roseau, Dominica.
In recent days, Dominica has been rattled by several earthquakes and the centre said that the country is undergoing “volcanic unrest” which is increased seismic activity particularly associated with the volcano.
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