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Saint Lucia Alarmed by Earthquake

Contact: Julian Du Bois - Deputy Director, NEMO (758) 452-3802

Friday, November 30, 2008 - In the aftermath of the 7.3 magnitude earthquake which impacted the Eastern Caribbean yesterday at 3:00 p.m., the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) has been receiving reports from Communities all over the Country. Fortunately, there have been no report of fatalities or casualties. The reported damage has generally been of cracks to structures, fallen plaster and broken water lines. In addition, minor rockslides in Anse Chastnet, Soufriere and Belvedere, Canaries partially blocked the roads. The Ministry of Communications & Works has been mobilized to address these reports. Also, the Vieux Fort Fire Department responded to an electrical pole fire in the Saltibus Community. The fire may have been caused by a tree falling onto the electrical lines.
 

It is being rumoured that another earthquake will impact Saint Lucia some time today; we want to inform persons that no one can say this with any certainty as earthquakes cannot be predicted. I repeat EARTHQUAKES CANNOT BE PREDICTED therefore we cannot say that we will either be or not be impacted by an earthquake later today with any certainty. These statements are rumours. After many major earthquakes, milder after shocks are sometimes recorded; however they cannot be predicted.
 

NEMO would like to implore persons to have their buildings inspected by a qualified building inspector or engineer, to ascertain their structural integrity and to avert any possible future damage and injury to individuals.

We would also like for persons to report any sightings of unusual cracks and fissures in the ground that they observe, so that we may invite the seismologists to conduct investigations.

Although a tsunami warning was not issued, we received many enquiries and we would thus like to remind persons that should the Seismic Unit issue any such warning, MEMO will not hesitate to issue the alert.

Again we would like to implore citizens to be vigilant and to remember that disasters are not only caused by Hurricanes and Storms, but may be caused by Earthquakes as well.

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