Final tsunami warning siren complete

A ribbon cutting ceremony was held Tuesday to celebrate “the erection of the 44th and final tsunami warning tower at the D.C. Canegata Recreation Center and sports grounds on St. Croix,” according to a news release from the V.I. Territorial Emergency Management Agency

Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. and “the directors of a multitude of both federal and local governmental agencies” attended the ceremony, where VITEMA Director Daryl Jaschen said he was proud to declare that the project was complete.

“As of today, all the warning sirens that once dotted the territory’s landscape prior to their destruction in the wake of two Category 5 hurricanes in 2017, have been replaced,” according to the news release.

“While the old system used wooden utility poles, the new sirens will sit atop galvanized steel poles that will better withstand natural disasters. The poles are equipped with radio antennas that receive emergency signals to activate the sirens,” according to the news release. “The completed towers stand at 60 feet in height. The height and selected locations being necessary to warn persons of any tsunami threat along the over 1,500 miles of territorial shoreline.”

The system is being modernized for compatibility with the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System , the national alert and warning infrastructure. This integration will boost the system’s capabilities to notify and alert the public of many other potential catastrophic events, including hurricanes, earthquakes and other weather-related traumas, according to VITEMA.