2006 Speeches

June 25, 2007

Dr. Roy L. Austin
United States Ambassador
Remarks to the Opening Ceremony of the Caribbean
Training Course in Seismology and Tsunami Warnings
Learning Resource Centre
The University of the West Indies

Representatives of disaster management offices and meteorological services of Caribbean countries. Scientists and tsunami specialists from the Caribbean and around the world. Other distinguished ladies and gentlemen.

Good morning!

I thank the organizers of this workshop, and in particular, the Seismic Research Unit of the University of the West Indies for inviting me to speak this morning.  I am extremely pleased to be part of this worthy enterprise that will develop an understanding of the science behind tsunami warnings and discuss how the tsunami warning system can complement and support other disaster risk management initiatives in the region.

We in the Caribbean and the United States are no strangers to natural disasters.  We all recall Hurricane Ivan that caused severe damage in Grenada and several other Caribbean countries in 2004.  I am happy to report that U.S. assistance under such circumstances has been very flexible and quick.  The U.S government had responders on the ground the day after Ivan's passage.  Ultimately, the U.S. government provided US$100 million for the Caribbean, including US$42 million for Grenada and half a million US dollars for Tobago.  The 2005 hurricane season demonstrated that disaster assistance goes both ways: Trinidad and Tobago gave some $2 million to American charities in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in the U.S.

While it is fortunate that we have the capacity to provide disaster assistance following natural disasters, it is even better to prepare for disasters to mitigate the risk to lives and property.  In addition to hurricanes, the Caribbean has a history of earthquakes, volcanoes and tsunamis, which have wiped out complete cities, killed thousands of people and set back development efforts by years.  Scientists say that it is not a question of whether a destructive earthquake or tsunami will occur in the Caribbean but when.  It is for this reason that I am so happy to see all of us involved in this mission to create a comprehensive Caribbean early warning system for tsunamis and other coastal hazards.

I extend special commendation to our hosts today, the Seismic Research Unit of the University of the West Indies in Trinidad and Tobago, to the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA), to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and to the Intergovernmental Oceanic Commission of UNESCO. The last-named organization has led the coordination efforts for this project. 

The Seismic Research Unit has long monitored the seismic activity for all the people of the English-speaking islands of the Eastern Caribbean.  The US$249,680 grant from USAID/OFDA to this organization for network upgrades and workshops like this one is intended to improve communications between the islands. It will go a long way toward helping to better equip the Caribbean to handle earthquakes and tsunamis. 

I am also happy to report that the U.S. has committed $37.5 million over a two-year period to improve U.S. tsunami detection and monitoring capabilities.  Under this initiative, the USGS and NOAA are working with eight Caribbean nations to install or upgrade 12 seismic monitoring sites in the region to provide accurate, timely and responsive monitoring to all countries.  New technology continues to give us more and more powerful tools to predict when and where an earthquake or tsunami will strike; and we should be able to reduce the threat to lives and property.  

I shall conclude by thanking all of you who will be involved this week in the hard work of making this region safer for all of us.  May the Almighty bless you with the wisdom to help save yourselves and others from harm when uncontrollable natural forces unleash their fury on our neighborhood.