THE VALLEY, ANGUILLA – Anguilla restored its status as a contributor to the IOC (Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission) Sea level monitoring facility when the Department of Disaster Management reinstalled a sea level monitoring device commonly known as a tide gauge, at the Blowing Point Port last week.
The sea level monitor replaced the previous unit lost to Hurricane Irma in 2017 and was funded by the Government of the United Kingdom and installed by Jerard Sea Level Systems and the Department of Disaster Management. The tide gauge has been reconstructed with a more substantial support structure which should improve its resilience to future storms. The tide monitor records the sea level in one minute increments and transmits the data to the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (UNESCO-IOC) via satellite at five minute intervals.
Deputy Director of Disaster Management, Mr. Damian Barker stated: “The reinstallation of this tide gauge reconfirms our commitment to improving sea level monitoring in Anguilla and the region for the purposes of early warning and monitoring of tsunami and other coastal hazards. I hope that this tide gauge is only the first of many such devices we install in Anguilla in order to paint a more accurate picture of sea levels at the ports and other points around the coast of the island where such data can be valuable. The Department would like to thank the UK Government for providing the system and the Anguilla Air and Seaports Authority for allowing us to reinstall this important equipment at the port.”
The sea level data collected is available to the public via the UNESCO IOC Sea level Data Facility website at http://ioc-sealevelmonitoring.org/station.php?code=blow
EDITORS NOTES
The tide monitor was purchased and installed based on a report from the ninth session of the Intergovernmental coordination group for the tsunami and other coastal hazard warning system for the Caribbean and adjacent regions held in St. Thomas USVI, May 2014. The report urged member states to continue their efforts to fill gaps in the monitoring networks (seismic and sea-level) towards the completion of the Tsunami and Other Coastal Hazards Warning System for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions.
Department of Disaster Management
15 July 2019
– Press Release
