First tsunami ready communities in the North Pacific
The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) is the first country in the North Pacific to recognize communities under the UNESCO IOC Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme.
On April 23, 2024, Weno Municipality of Chuuk State and on April 26, 2024, Kolonia Town, and the municipalities of Sokehs, Kitti, Madolenihmw, U, and Nett of Pohnpei Island, Pohnpei State, became the 55th and 56th communities globally. The recognitions were facilitated by the International Tsunami Information Center (ITIC), with support from USAID. The NOAA Center for Tsunami Research (NCTR) provided hazard assessments that each State used to develop evacuation zones and response plans, conduct exercises, and hold tsunami outreach to prepare their communities.
The Federated States of Micronesia is comprised of the States of Chuuk, Pohnpei, Kosrae, and Yap; in the coming months, the States of Kosrae and Yap are expected to complete the Tsunami Ready indicators for recognition. At the national level, the FSM's Tsunami Ready Programme is overseen by the Department of Environment, Climate Change & Emergency Management (DECEM) Emergency Management Division. DECEM also holds the National Tsunami Support Plan, containing the warning and response arrangements for each State, which was updated from 2016 to 2024 as part of the Tsunami Ready implementation. "Tsunami Ready is important to Micronesia. It's raising awareness, and community preparedness is essential - that's the major key for saving lives in our communities and throughout the FSM," emphasized Abigail Kim-Lambert, Assistant Secretary, Emergency Management Division, DECEM.
In Chuuk, the Disaster and Emergency Operations Center and Chuuk Weather Service Office collaborated to complete the Tsunami Ready Indicators, conducting outreach to schools, hotels, and with United Airlines staff since the airport is in the evacuation zone and updating the response plan to include tsunamis. In Pohnpei, the Pohnpei Weather Office worked with the Departments of Public Safety and Department of Education, building upon previous tsunami preparedness work by the Red Cross for Sokehs and by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) for some parts of Kolonia.
"The UNESCO Tsunami Ready preparedness program is a huge leap forward for the Federated States of Micronesia. We hope this ensures that the ethos of preparedness goes beyond signs on the street and knowing where to meet and where the assembly points are, to everyday education in school and to community members young to old, so all are fully aware of what to do in case of an emergency to save their lives," said Kay Schwendinger, Head of Resident Coordinator’s Office for the UN Multi-Country Office for Micronesia (Palau, Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Kiribati).
"The best way to mitigate disasters is to prepare for them before they happen. Tsunami Ready does exactly that", said Alissa Bibb, Charge d'Affairs of the United States Embassy. She added, "The United States is proud to support disaster resilience in the FSM by funding and supporting the Tsunami Ready program through USAID, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the International Tsunami Information Center, and our contributions to the United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization".
Further information on the UNESCO IOC Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme can be found here.