Prevent to rescue. The town of Deshaies, located in a hollow on the northern coast of Guadeloupe, received recognition from Unesco on Friday for its preparation for the risk of a tsunami, “an honor” for the mayor, Jeanny Marc.
This distinction is a “French and European first”, according to Matthieu Péroche, lecturer at Montpellier-3 University and expert in the tsunami hazard in the Caribbean.
Six popular beaches
In Deshaies, signage was installed at the end of 2019, indicating the directions to follow to reach the nearest high point. The awareness of the risk appeared in 2003, during a movement of water spotted during a wedding by the sea.
“If we are not in risk of wave height as we can know in the Pacific, we must understand that it is very different from a cyclonic swell, to which the Antilles are accustomed”, recalls Matthieu Péroche. . “A tsunami is the sea pushing, very fast and very strong, and even a small wave height is a real risk to human life”. Since 2012, the municipality has taken part every year in the international and Caribbean exercise CaribeWave, which takes place in mid-March.
“We have six very busy beaches: one year, we evacuated that of Grande-Anse”, the largest, says Jeanny Marc, who intends to “create reflexes in its population” but also among tourists. “The tsunami often comes after a long earthquake. People have to be aware that you have to look at the sea and if you see it recede, you have to run, fast and high”.
Recognition for four years
The municipality “timed the time it took to leave the town and climb to a high point” and “tested the drone alert on boats anchored in the bay”, says the city councilor. But all those involved in prevention recognize it: it is sometimes difficult to involve shopkeepers, hoteliers and other actors in municipal economic life.
The recognition of Unesco “Tsunami Ready” is acquired for four years. “It commits us to continue our efforts, particularly in terms of a warning system,” says Jeanny Marc, who is trying to find funding to install a siren.
It has also instructed its teams to work on a digital application capable of sending an alert in the event of danger.