Go Lean Caribbean
The below news article highlights the regional threat of the active fault line (the Lesser Antilles subduction zone, also known for volcanoes) in the Eastern Caribbean basin. Notice that the countries affected are of American, Dutch, English and French legacies. In addition, there has been a number of small quakes in Puerto Rico in the last month.
Without a doubt, the Caribbean has to be on guard for danger from seismic activities. Plus, with constant threats during the annual hurricane season, there is a need for a full-time sentinel to monitor, mitigate and manage the risks of natural disasters in the region. This is the mandate for the Caribbean Union Trade Federation (CU). The Go Lean … Caribbean roadmap describes the CU’s prime directives as empowering the region’s economic engines, providing security assurances and preparing/responding to natural disasters.
A 6.5-magnitude earthquake northeast of Barbados caused shaking across the Eastern Caribbean early Tuesday morning, according to the United States Geological Survey. The quake, which occurred 172 kilometres |northeast of Barbados, struck at around 5:27 AM local time.
The University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre also recorded the quake as having a magnitude of 6.5 on the Richter scale. The quake was felt across the region, with weak |shaking felt as far north as Philipsburg, St Maarten and light to moderate shaking from |Martinique all the way down to Grenada.
The most reports of shaking were felt in Martinique, which was about 128 kilometres directly west of the quake’s epicentre, along with Barbados. There were not any reports of damage or injuries, although authorities in Martinique were recommending “extreme caution” in coastal areas, according to reports. Other countries that felt shaking included St Lucia, Dominica, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Guadeloupe, Trinidad and even Venezuela. It was the second 6.5-magnitude earthquake in the region in just over a month, following a similarly-sized quake in near Puerto Rico in January.
It was the strongest quake in that portion of the region since 2007, when a 7.3-magnitude quake struck near Martinique. As a point of reference, the earthquake in 2010 in Haiti was a |7.0-magnitude on the Richter scale. The 2007 Martinique quake had been the largest in the |region since a 6.9-Magnitude tremblor near Antigua in 1974.
Source: Caribbean Journal Online (Retrieved 02/18/2014) –
http://www.caribjournal.com/2014/02/18/6-5m-earthquake-shakes-eastern-caribbean-from-martinique-to-grenada/
The book details the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti Earthquake as an indictment for the region’s lack of planning/response. What’s more the book, as a roadmap, posits that there is the threat of even more earthquakes along the Enriquillo fault line.
Earthquakes are Mother Nature’s fury 100%; there is no way to prevent them, only plan for their eventuality. Unfortunately the Caribbean region has not planned accordingly, despite due warning. Despite the constant threats for disasters, we have failed! There is no integrated agency to monitor and manage these threats. Yes, there is the US Geological Services, but this agency’s American priorities may not align with the priorities of the Caribbean people as a whole.
The roadmap does implement an integrated agency. Without this implementation, the region can only beg for help. Lastly, the Go Lean roadmap advocates a 10-Step approach to outgrow the statue of a perennial beggar for International Aid. The Caribbean, by the end of this roadmap, should at last be a better place to live, work and play.
Download the free e-Book of Go Lean … Caribbean – now!