The objective is to “raise awareness among the population of coastal communities about the FR-Alert system and remind them of the reflexes to adopt when faced with this type of risk”.
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A tsunami warning exercise is being organized on Friday January 19 in the morning, between 10 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. in the nine departments of the Mediterranean basin, announces the prefect of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur and Bouches-du-Rhône region on the social network The objective is to “raise awareness among the population of coastal communities about the FR-Alert system and remind them of the reflexes to adopt when faced with this type of risk”.
As it is an exercise, “no particular action is expected from the population upon receipt of the FR-Alert message and no means will be used on the ground (firefighters, police, etc.)”, indicates the prefecture. This coastline can be affected by tsunamis caused by earthquakes occurring in the Mediterranean. The FR-Alert message will arrive on residents’ cell phones.
In Gard, it is the town of Grau-du-Roi which is concerned, France Bleu Gard Lozère reported on Thursday. “Don’t panic if your phone starts ringing very loudly and shrilly around 10 a.m. this Friday morning. This is to test the FR-Alert system”indicates France Bleu.
The probability of a tsunami in the Mediterranean basin is high
In the Mediterranean, according to UNESCO, the probability of a wave of submersion within 30 years exceeds 90%. It’s already arrived. In 2003, for example, a 6.9 magnitude earthquake shook northern Algeria and caused waves of two meters in the Balearic Islands. Hence the importance of this alert exercise to remind residents of the procedure to follow.
This exercise is organized in conjunction with the digital transformation department, the general direction of civil security and crisis management, the tsunami warning center (CENALT) and the University of Avignon.