Communications systems and disaster preparedness capabilities were tested during the regional Caribe Wave 24 tsunami exercise last Thursday.

Several agencies joined the exercise, which was co-ordinated by the Disaster Risk Reduction and Mitigation Team of the Ministry of National Security, the government said.

Michael Weeks, the Minister of National Security, said although the likelihood of a tsunami hitting Bermuda was minimal given the island’s geographical location “our focus on public safety and preparedness is clear”.

He said the exercise “tests our communication protocols and solidifies our resilience and readiness to protect our island”.

Mr Weeks noted: “It's imperative to recognise the dual importance of readiness and effective communication in disaster risk management."

The exercise, now in its 13th year, is co-ordinated in the region with the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and other regional agencies.

The Government said: “It provides a platform for countries within the Caribbean and adjacent regions to simulate tsunami scenarios.”

The DRRMT team co-ordinated the exercise in collaboration with the Bermuda Weather Service and the Maritime Operations Centre.

The BWS serves as the designated Tsunami Focal Point, while the MOC provides back-up in the event there is a communications breakdown.

DRRMT co-ordinates these efforts for the Emergency Measures Organisation to ensure a comprehensive approach to disaster, risk reduction and mitigation, the Government said.

Despite the probability of Bermuda experiencing a tsunami being low, it was noted that “the global history of tsunamis teaches the devastating impact such an event can have on life and livelihoods”.

The island’s participation in the exercise aligns it with Intergovernmental Coordination Group for Tsunamis and Other Coastal Hazards in the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions of the Unesco Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, the Government said.