International Tsunami Information Center Caribbean Office

Happy Holidays from ITIC-CAR!🌊🎄

Grace Lemoine, NOAA Intern, presenting her investigation on Evaluating Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme Progress in the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions at AGU 2024🌊

ITIC-CAR Manager, Christa von Hillebrandt-Andrade visited the Rahmatullah Mosque located on the coast of Lampuuk Beach, Lhoknga, Aceh Besar, Indonesia. The mosque is located 500 meters from the beach, it was overwashed by the December 26, 2004 tsunami but survived being the only building left standing in the area. The picture of the mosque went viral and used for many presentations to highlight the destructive nature of tsunamis. With funding from Turkish Red Crescent it was reconstructed. In one corner they conserved the damaged structures. Standing with me is Noni, she survived because she got on her mountain bike and was able to “outrun” the tsunami. Zoom into the picture and you will be able to see her with her bike in 2004.

ITIC CAR Manager, Christa von Hillebrandt-Andrade participated at the 2nd UNESCO IOC Global Tsunami Symposium in Banda Aceh, Indonesia commemorating two decades since the Indian Ocean Tsunami.

ITIC's Caribbean Office participated to the United Nations' '20 years commemoration for the devastating Dec 26, 2024 Indian Ocean tsunami' at UN headquarters in New York on 5 November 2024. Ambassadors, policy makers, and 2004 eyewitness survivors highlighted their countries' community preparedness efforts. ITIC's Glorymar Gomez shared work on the blind and visually impaired communities, ITIC has adapted Caribbean safety materials in Braille (English/Spanish) and worked to strengthen their capacities so they will be proactive and resilient to tsunamis.

The 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami claimed countless lives. However, everyone on Mai Khao Beach in Thailand was saved thanks to a girl's risk education.

Two weeks before the tsunami, Tilly Smith had learned about the warning signs of a tsunami in her geography class. She noticed the strange waves and immediately alerted her family. Despite initial doubt, her dad listened and convinced a security guard to evacuate the beach. Thanks to Tilly's awareness, over 100 people made it to higher ground, escaping the deadly waves.

How a schoolgirl outsmarted a tsunami: The story of Tilly Smith | UNDRR 🌊 When a tsunami struck, this girl's risk education saved more than 100 lives. In 2004, the Indian Ocean Tsunami became one of the deadliest disasters in hi...

Today is World Tsunami Awareness Day!🌊

20 years ago, a powerful earthquake off the coast of Indonesia triggered a tsunami that claimed countless lives, highlighting the need for a global understanding of disaster risks.

In the video below are a few words from Mr. Kamal Kishore, Head of UNDRR, as he reflects on the devastating impact of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Kishore emphasizes the progress made in disaster risk reduction and the importance of continued awareness and preparation.

Let's honor the memory of those lost by committing to stronger, collaborative efforts in disaster preparedness and risk management.

Remembering the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami: A Call to Action | World Tsunami Awareness Day 2024 Join Mr. Kamal Kishore, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction and Head of UNDRR, as he reflects on the devastating i...

World Tsunami Awareness Day 2024 is tomorrow🌊. This day will commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Indian Ocean Tsunami by passing its lessons to a new generation of children and youth

Empowering children, especially through education, can enable them to protect themselves and to become agents of change in their families and communities by sharing what they learned.

How can you help protect your community from tsunamis? #GetToHighGround | UNDRR 🌊 Tsunamis can be devastating, but with early warning and preparedness, we can save lives. The United Nations Secretary-General has set a goal to ensure eve...

The second Thursday of October is World Sight Day, creating awareness on the importance of protecting our eyes and vision. There are more than 26 million of blind and visually impaired people in the Caribbean and Latin America (https://sgp.orbis.org/en/wherewework/latin-america-the-caribbean). ITIC-CAR has adapted its Tsunami Safety Rules flyer into Braille for this community to be able to prepare for a tsunami the way they can read, Braille.

On October 29, 2024 the Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport of Puerto Rico was recognized by US National Weather Service as TsunamiReady. 8000 employees and 43,000 people pass through the airport daily. It is the first airport in the Caribbean and the second in the US to receive this recognition. The other airport is San Francisco. In addition to AEROSTAR this achievement would not be possible without Puerto Rico Seismic Network and PR state Energency Management Bureau.

Next Tuesday, November 5th is World Tsunami Awareness Day🌊

This year's commemorations aim to honour the memory of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami on its 20th anniversary, to highlight its lessons for children and youth around the world and to celebrate the success of progress made in advancing early warning system coverage. Empowering them with this knowledge, which is captured in the campaign, can be the difference between life and death when tsunamis emerge.