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ARCHIVED - Almeria to launch new tsunami alert system
The Andalucía region, especially the Almería coast, is a high-risk area for both earthquakes and tsunamis
The province of Almería is to be the launch point for a system that detects tsunamis, or tidal waves, and alerts the local population to imminent danger.
The system has been provided by the National Geographic Institute (IGN) and is part of the State Civil Protection Plan to Detect Tsunamis, which was approved last May.
One of the main objectives for the system, named National Tsunami Alert System (SINAM), is to warn the Civil Protection authorities and other emergency services about any imminent threats caused by underwater earthquakes.
However, there is also a strategy to alert the general population, especially vulnerable groups, in order to guarantee a rapid response plan in case of emergency. The warning system will also give citizens the chance to prepare by using self-protection measures against tsunamis.
An underwater earthquake generated in the Alboran Sea could create a tsunami that would reach Almería in just 20 minutes, with tidal waves up to eight metres tall.
The coastal area of Almería is one of the most high-risk areas for this kind of phenomenon, as the province is close to where the European and African tectonic plates rub together constantly, causing frequent earthquakes of different magnitudes across the Andalucía region, especially in Granada and Almería.
Two recent earthquakes in Granada were felt by residents in up to 20 different municipalities on July 13 and July 14.
The new SINAM system is added to the seismographic network which is already operating in Almería and, in addition to funding detection and alert systems, the Andalucía region has spent over five million euros so far on natural disaster funds.
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