Around 30 people from different agencies, organizations and companies attended the two-day event.
According to Chip Guard, warning coordination meteorologist from NWS-Guam, they reached out to the decision-makers to disseminate information regarding changes in weather conditions, rip currents, tides, tsunamis and volcano activities.
The workshop allowed participants to be familiar with the causes of the weather, the climate and climate change, he said.
“We’re trying to get some of this stuff [workshop topics] to the curriculum of schools,” he added.
He said they want the public to be more aware and prepared when a disaster is imminent.
But he assured the public that the CNMI will not experience a tsunami as destructive as that of Japan although everyone should move to higher ground during tsunami alerts.
“You should be able to walk to safety. It’s not necessarily going up to Mt. Tapochau or Capital Hill,” Guard said.
“Once you feel the ground shaking, duck and take cover under the table,” he added.
He said even the Marianas Trench can cause a tsunami that’s why for whenever a 9.0 or 9.5 earthquake occurs, everyone is advised to move to higher ground.
“We should be aware of the destruction a tsunami can bring because out in the ocean the current travels 500 miles per hour and it slows down as it hits the shore,” he said.
He noted that the underwater cable that runs though Guam and Hawaii snapped during the tsunami caused by the Japan earthquake two months ago.
He also warned everyone about rip currents on the ocean that are the major cause of drowning in the Marianas.
He asked everyone, including tourists, not to go to secluded beaches to prevent drowning because of rip currents.
A rip current is fast water current that flows away from the shore caused by waves breaking along the reef front and interacting with the coastline.
Guard advised everyone to always get the latest on the weather forecast and not rely on old data from the television or radio stations that are pre-recorded.
He encourages everyone to listen to call EMO because it is updated about the weather conditions of the island.
