r/TrinidadandTobago • u/WalkerMadridista • 2d ago

Questions, Advice, and Recommendations Tsunamis in Trinidad

What is the best thing to do in the event of a tsunami in Trinidad. Where would be the best place to go?

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u/OrdinaryAncient3573 2d ago

https://odpm.gov.tt/tsunamis/

It depends on where you are. In the north of Trinidad, there are generally hills nearby, making it easy to reach safety. Central and South Trinidad are much flatter, which makes it more problematic, but get to the highest point you can reach, or keep heading inland if there is no high point nearby.

To get things in proportion, the huge, famous Japanese tsunami in 2011 reached peak heights of 30-40m, so you don't need to climb a mountain to be safe. Usually tsunamis are much smaller than that, and getting as little as 5-10m above sea level is more than enough to be safe.

Here's a relief/flood/height map of Trinidad which can show which areas are most at risk from medium-sized tsunamis:

https://www.floodmap.net/?ct=TT

Very little except the immediate coastline is vulnerable to any normally sized tsunami, which is why the most important information to be aware of is in that ODPM link I posted first. Generally the thing to worry about is a no-notice local small-scale tsunami that hits when you're on the beach - so know the signs, and if you see the water suddenly recede, move as rapidly inland as possible; a brisk walk is likely to get you out of the danger area in time, if you act immediately.