Dissemination and Communications of Alerts

Warning services lie at the core of an early warning system. There must be a sound scientific basis to the system and reliable technology for:

  • Monitoring and detecting hazards in real-time or near-real-time;
  • A forecasting and warning system that operates 24 hours a day, 365 days/year which is monitored and staffed by qualified people.

Continuous monitoring of hazard parameters and their precursors (when available for a particular hazard) is essential to generate accurate warnings in a timely fashion that allows sufficient time for the affected community or communities to enact their disaster management plans appropriate for that hazard.

The systems used for detection and monitoring, which could be automated, should allow for strict quality control of the data under international standards when these are available. Warning services should have a multi-hazard perspective and coordinated where ever possible to gain the benefit of shared institutional, procedural and communication networks and capacities.

Data, forecasts and warnings should be archived in a standardized way to support post event analysis and improvements of the system over time. 

This section provides information on the monitoring networks in the Caribbean for monitoring and forecasting of hazards.

 

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