Saturday night, a Earthquake 7.6 degrees on the Richter alert of tsunami For the entire Caribbean region, including the Dominican Republic.
Only minutes after the telluric movement, the emergency operations center (COE) activated your response protocol for this type of event, considering since a tsunami It could affect the country’s coastal communities.
“He COE activates your protocol of alert of tsunami and emit one alert yellow for the entire coast of the country. The population surrounding the coast must go to the highest places, they should not use the beaches at the moment and the boats They must remain in Puerto, “said the director of the entity, Major General Juan Manuel Méndez by offering a press conference on Saturday, to warn the Dominicans to take measures before the alert of seaquake.
He INDOMET He urged the population to move away from the coastal area and, as far as possible, move to land elevated to more than 20 meters high or at least two kilometers inland, always following the indications of the authorities.
In addition, he recommended that small and medium boats They refrain from sailing in the next few hours, since the tsunami It could generate strong ocean currents.
Although the alert It was discarded less than an hour after the initial announcement, in the country there were moments of tension between people who worried about the possibilities of a seaquake.
Tsunami He hit RD
Despite Dominican Republic It is located in an area of high activity seismicdue to the interaction of the Caribbean and North American plates, only once in its history there has been a tsunami of great magnitude.
This is indicated by the National Center for Seismology (CNS) of the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD).
In its official portal, he points out that, on August 4, 1946, a earthquake of magnitude 8.1 shook the island, reaching intensities of X and XI on the modified Mercalli scale, causing a tsunami that razed the town of Matancitas, in the current province María Trinidad Sánchez.
It was the Earthquake Stronger registered in history seismic Instrumental of the Hispaniola and brought waves of more than 9 meters high that advanced up to 2 kilometers inland, almost completely destroying the community.
Of about 300 wooden houses, only eight were standing due to the event almost 79 years ago.
The bridges collapsed and the towns of Cabrera, Nagua and Sánchez were incommunicado.
When a tsunami alert is issued, the population is recommended to move away from the coastal area and move to land more than 20 meters high. Likewise, vessels are ordered to refrain from sailing and getting away from the beaches. In addition, identify an adequate evacuation plan and stay with your family.
