NEWS RELEASE

July 24, 2015

6:00 a.m. EST

NO TSUNAMI WARNING FOR SAINT LUCIA

An orange alert level remains in effect for the Kick ‘Em Jenny submarine volcano located approximately 8 km north of the island of Grenada. According to the University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre (UWI-SRC), the change in alert level from yellow to orange was in-keeping with increased seismic activity which began on 11th July, 2015. The UWI-SRC has confirmed that a sharp increasing trend was observed during the period July 21^st and 22^nd July and that between 1:25am and 3:00 am on Thursday 23^rd July, 2015 the most intense activity, an eruption, was observed.

The UWI-SRC has also confirmed that from 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. yesterday, the activity level at Kick ‘em Jenny declined.  The Centre cautions, however, that it would be premature to take this decline as an indication that this eruption episode is over given that previous such eruption episodes, at this volcano, usually include more than one eruption event.

Further, reports from the UWI-SRC indicate that the eruptions at Kick ‘em Jenny are following similar patterns as observed in the past and that since 1935 the volcano has erupted in a similar fashion every 10 years with the latest eruption occurring in 2001.

The SRC therefore anticipated that the eruptions will not reach the surface; however, the potential exists. The greatest threat at this time is to maritime/shipping and consequently an exclusion zone of 5 km has been established around the volcano which should be strictly observed.  Notwithstanding, members of the public are asked to remain vigilant and on high alert and to continue to monitor the situation.

The National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) wishes to advise that the code orange alert refers to the Kick ‘em Jenny volcano and not to the islands of the Eastern Caribbean. Additionally, there is no Tsunami Warning for Saint Lucia at this time.

For further information please contact the NEMO Secretariat via telephone # (758) 452-3802/452-4318/468-2126 or email at admin@nemo.gov.lc or visit the Seismic Research Centre at www.uwiseismic.com.