Government has reassured the public it will swing into action and ensure people's safety in the event of a tsunami.

The Island's first tsunami exercise involved the emergency services, Bermuda Weather Service (BWS), the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS) and Government representatives coordinating a simulated Island-wide response on April 2.

This, the first international tsunami exercise to be held in the northwest Atlantic, was entitled LANTEX 09, and was organised by the US National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center, which sends advisories to the US and Canadian coastal regions.

In Bermuda, the tabletop exercise was organised by BWS and the Ministry of Labour, Home Affairs and Housing, and held at a Police command post. It simulated a tsunami warning and advisory following an earthquake north of Puerto Rico, with the aim to improve coordination across the region and evaluate local response plans.

Wayne Smith, Government's coordinator of Security Services, said: "The exercise went very well. It puts Bermuda in the proactive position which is where we want to be.

"As a result of this exercise Bermuda will be in a good position to prepare for and respond to a tsunami or any man-made disaster.

"But the public should be not alarmed because there has never been a tsunami in Bermuda. We are just taking a preparatory measure to recognise that one far away could affect us."

Mark Guishard, BWS director, and tsunami expert Jerome Aucan of BIOS both gave presentations at the 'emergency meeting'.

"The exercise was extremely useful in getting people thinking about their level of preparedness," said Dr. Guishard. "The group came up with some very good recommendations to Government to ensure a state of readiness."

But he stressed the incidence of a tsunami would be rare. Even if one struck the Island, it would most likely consist of a small rise in sea level.

"When people think of a tsunami they think of a very large wave crashing across the shoreline but it can be as small as a tidal range of between one and two metres," he said.

"In Bermuda we are talking about a sudden rise in sea level. If this was to happen in the summer, swimmers would be at risk from dangerous rip currents and there would be the potential for damage to the infrastructure, specifically the effect of seawater on electrical systems and generators.

"The concern isn't so much properties by the beach but power loss, so it is not like a massive loss of life such as we had in the Indian Ocean tsunami (December 2004).

"If one imagines the currents at Flatts Inlet as the tide goes in and out, imagine that happening around the Island. That's the scenario that this exercise posed, with an onset of around two hours."

He said: "A tsunami would definitely be very rare. But even though we don't have a continental shelf which would result in wave height, this doesn't mean we are completely protected."

Dr. Guishard said: "The idea behind this exercise was to get a group of key agencies together, to see what we have in place and to make further recommendations."

Currently BWS and Bermuda Maritime Operations (Harbour Radio) receive advisories from NOAA which are then communicated to the Emergency Measures Organisation (EMO) and the Police.

He said the Island's tsunami action plan had much improved since December 2006, when a false alarm by members of the public led to BWS being swamped with phone calls, leading to the lines getting jammed.

Following the incident, Public Safety Minister David Burch also blamed a "complete breakdown of communication" by Police for the chaotic evacuation of Dockyard and Somerset residents.

Dr. Guishard told The Royal Gazette: "Although there was a basic system in place, it has been improved. A large part of the problem was communication. Due to the lines jamming, I myself didn't receive a call until two hours into the incident."

He said the incident had happened on a Saturday when he was off-duty.

"There was communication between the on-duty forecaster and the EMO, but by this time the incident was well underway due to rumours.

"It was, however, a good test. We discovered that the panic and rumour mill was quashed once we put information on the website and cable television channel, and also put messages on the radio.

"In terms of procedure it highlighted the need to really take a hard look at what we would do if there was such an event and the need for some form of threat assessment."

Government is now examining a recommendation for a computer study to measure the impact of a tsunami and the effect of storm surge from hurricanes. It would also assess marine pollution, coastal erosion and ocean chemistry.

"We could use the expertise of BIOS in this," said Dr. Guishard. "It is something Government is currently looking into."

He said another recommendation from the exercise was more public education.

"One of the things we want the public to think about is not just having a hurricane plan but also having an emergency plan for their home and business in the event of a tsunami," said Dr. Guishard.

"We have talked about putting a preparedness plan on the information channel and sending out brochures. We want people to think about all the hazards and to be in a position to take action if anything should occur."

The public would be notified of such an emergency in the same way as with a hurricane, with warnings on the BWS cable television weather channel and website, and through the Island's media.

Dr. Guishard said: "The people of Bermuda should feel confident that steps have been taken to ensure a warning system is in place and that efforts are ongoing by the Ministry of Labour, Home Affairs and Housing to ensure a state of readiness."