Head of the Mona GeoInformatics Institute of the University of the West Indies (UWI), Dr Parris Lyew-Ayee Jr, is warning against an overreaction to the recent tremors felt across Jamaica.
He pointing out that Jamaica records hundreds of ‘minor quakes’ per year, and that the best response must be in adherence to the building code and proper dissemination of information.
“The 3.2 event happened yesterday (Sunday), but it was not significant, which is why it’s called a tremor. It’s the orders of magnitude below a four, which is the order of magnitudes below a five, and it’s when you are at five that we should start to worry,” he told The Gleaner.
Lyew-Ayee said that it was vitally important for the construction industry to adhere to the established national building code to mitigate the challenges that may arise in the advent of a major earthquake.
“The best response to these events [however small] is to make sure constructions are within the guidelines of the building code and that proper information is disseminated to the public for them to understand,” he stated.
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