Assembly point signage at 04 August, 2017 Evacuation Exercise Omoa, Honduras.

Key requirements for nominated communities are:

1. MITIGATION:
2. Designated and mapped tsunami hazard zones
3. Public display of tsunami information and response that identifies for example: (1) tsunami danger area and/or hazard zone (entering and leaving signs), evacuation routes, and assembly area; and (2) provides tsunami response education (go to high ground)
4. PREPAREDNESS:
5. Produce easily understood tsunami evacuation maps as determined to be appropriate by local authorities
6. Development and distribution of outreach and public education materials
7. Covene at least three outreach or education activities annually
8. Conduct an annual tsunami community exercise
9. RESPONSE:
10. Address tsunami hazards in the community’s emergency operations plan (EOP)
11. Commit to supporting the emergency operations center (EOC) during tsunami incidents if an EOC is opened and activated
12. Redundant and reliable means for a 24-hour warning point (and EOC if activated) to receive official tsunami threats
13. Redundant and reliable means for 24-hour warning point and/or EOC to disseminate official tsunami alerts to the public.

In June 2011, the US NWS NOAA provided initial funding to support the joint NWS and UNESCO/IOC TsunamiReady® pilot project recognition as an initial rollout for the Caribbean and the international community.  In the Caribbean, this joint initiative was implemented by CTWP; in coordination with UNESCO/IOC.  These efforts led to the recognition of Anguilla in 2011 and the Virgin Islands (UK) [British Virgin Islands] in 2014.

By 2015, the ICG/CARIBE EWS’s recommendation for the approval of the Community Performance Based Tsunami Recognition Programme (Tsunami Ready Programme) as a pilot programme for the Caribbean and adjacent regions, and its corresponding guidelines were ratified by the 2015 IOC General Assembly.  At the ICG/CARIBE-EWS-XXII in May 2017, it was recommended that the Task Team on Tsunami Ready should facilitate the continued piloting in the Caribbean.  The UNESCO/IOC ICG/CARIBE EWS-led programme is not copyrighted, and is differentiated from the US NOAA NWS program by virtue of name and some minor modifications in the guidelines.  Support to the ICG/CARIBE EWS Tsunami Ready Programme has been led by UNESCO/IOC, CTIC and CTWP in coordination with regional partner organisations including the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management agency (CDEMA), the Coordination Center for the Prevention of Natural Disasters in Central America (CEPREDENAC), the Puerto Rico Seismic Network (PRSN), the Seismic Research Centre of the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine (SRC) and the United States Agency for International Development/Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA).

Since June 20, 2001, the NOAA NWS has been implementing the recognition program, TsunamiReady® in United States jurisdictions.  Under this program, the Caribbean US jurisdictions of Puerto Rico (almost fifty [50] communities have been recognised) and US Virgin Islands (all three [3] of its’ island communities were also recognised in 2014) have been recognised.