Preparing for the big ones

By Kenneth D. McClintock

The terrible tragedy that Japan has suffered when it experienced the worst earthquake in their earthquake-prone recorded history and a related tsunami struck the eastern Japanese coast, serves as a valuable reminder to Puerto Rico, located in a seismologically active area of the Atlantic and, as an island, especially exposed to tsunamis.

Since he arrived at La Fortaleza in 2009, Governor Fortuño has been especially concerned about those two types of related natural disasters. He has insisted that drills be held where they had never been held before---high-rise apartment buildings, for example---and more frequently where they were held in the past. He has insisted that we begin inspecting our schools and structurally strengthening them. Likewise, in the past two years the placement of directional signs in tsunami-prone coastal areas has intensified, while offshore buoys are being installed to improve tsunami forecasting.

Under his watch, stricter construction requirements are being implemented, and Puerto Rico's search and rescue teams were dispatched to Haiti, to help but also to learn and hone their skills, lest they someday be needed at home.

Japan's tragedy is Puerto Rico's gift, a reminder that what has happened to them could happen to us, and a strong lesson on what we have to do to minimize future risks.