Joint Guam-CNMI Tsunami Communication Exercise

The Offices of Guam Homeland Security and Civil Defense (GHS/OCD), in close coordination with the National Weather Service – Guam Weather Forecast Office, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization/Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission’s International Tsunami Information Center, will take part in the Pacific Wave 2018 (PacWave18) Exercise, a Joint Guam-Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas (CNMI) Tsunami Communication Exercise, on Wednesday, April 4, 2018.

PacWave18 provides a valuable opportunity for Pacific countries to test new products, review tsunami response procedures and test internal communication systems. One of the objectives for the exercise is to validate respective agency/departments’ alert notification planning procedures and identify changes that can improve its effectiveness.

There will be no hindrance to the public as the exercise is internal to those agencies participating. Participating agencies include Government of Guam agencies, military partners, private, and non-profit organizations that play an active role in GHS/OCD’s Emergency Operations Center during times of disasters.

Lieutenant Governor Tenorio recently declared the week of April 1 – 7, 2018 as Guam’s Tsunami Preparedness Week. PacWave18 is another way GHS/OCD promotes tsunami hazard preparedness as an active collaboration among federal, territorial, and local emergency management agencies.

For more information, contact Public Information Officer, Jenna G. Blas at (671) 478-0208 or via email at jenna.g.blas@ghs.guam.gov.

X Flooding is a temporary overflowing of water onto land that is normally dry. Flooding may happen with only a few inches of water, or it may cover a house to the rooftop. There are many possible causes of floods including heavy rain, coastal storms and storm surge, waterway overflow from being blocked with debris, or overflow of levees, dams, or waste water systems. Flooding can occur slowly over many days or happen very quickly with little or no warning, called flash floods.

To learn more, visit https://www.ready.gov/floods

Wildfire

Regularly clean the roof and gutters.
Maintain an area approximately 30’ away from you home that is free of anything that will burn, such as wood piles, dried leaves, newspapers and other brush.
Connect garden hoses long enough to reach any area of the home and fill garbage cans, tubs, or other large containers with water.
Review your homeowner's insurance policy and also prepare/update a list of your home's contents.

Fire Weather

Turn on your TV/radio. You’ll get the latest weather updates and emergency instructions.
Know where to go. If you are ordered to evacuate, know the route to take and have plan of where you will go. Check-in with your friends and family.
Keep your car fueled, in good condition, and stocked with emergency supplies and a change of clothes.

Drought

Conserve water

Take shorter showers.

Turn off the water while brushing your teeth or shaving.
Run the washer less frequently and only when you have a full load.
Water your lawn less frequently and do so when the temperature is cooler in the early morning or late evening.
When you run the tap to heat or cool water, keep a pitcher to store the water and use it to water plants.
Avoid washing your car.

Practice fire prevention

Don't set off fireworks when conditions are dry.
Deposit cigarette butts in the proper receptacle to avoid starting a
Pour water over camp fires and backyard fire pits to ensure they are completely out before leaving them unattended.

Follow directions from local officials. If there are restrictions on water usage, be sure to heed them.

To learn more, visit https://www.ready.gov/wildfires and https://www.ready.gov/drought

X
Typhoons/Hurricanes are massive storm systems that form over the water and move toward land. Threats from typhoons/hurricanes include high winds, heavy rainfall, storm surge, coastal and inland flooding, and rip currents.

“Hurricanes” form in the Atlantic Northeast Pacific region and “Typhoons” form in the Northwest Pacific Region. These large storms are call cyclones in other parts of the world.

To learn more, visit https://www.ready.gov/hurricanes.