A popular French city has new plans put in place for a natural disaster amid fears of a “significant” tsunami.
On Thursday, UNESCO officials visited Cannes to assess the increasing risk of a tsunami hitting the region.
Scientists, alongside a report from ten years ago, state that a natural disaster of this kind would be “almost inevitable” within the next 30 years, French newspaper Le Figaro reports.
The findings come after intense and regular seismic activity was discovered between the sea and the mountains in the area.
“The faults [fractures in the Earth’s crust] are active in the Mediterranean, they move regularly,” said the UNESCO tsunami program head, Bernardo Aliaga.
He added that the probability of such an event remains “high”. This follows a 4.3-magnitude earthquake which was recorded in the area on Monday, with tremors reaching as far as Nice.
In light of the scientific predictions, a prevention plan has been launched by UNESCO in France where Cannes is making serious preparations for a possible tidal wave.
Despite being confirmed as “tsunami ready” last year by the United Nations, the region has continued to raise awareness and fast-track the readiness of the city against the possible disaster.
Aliaga said: “For the system to be effective, the population must participate.” Another 44 cities globally have also been listed by UNESCO, mainly in countries bordering the Indian Ocean and the Caribbean. However, Cannes remains the only city in France to be listed, with other areas such as Marseille and Nice considering similar measures too.
If sudden seismic activity was detected on the Italian coast of Sanremo, a wave could take just ten minutes to hit Cannes. Multiple “refuge zones” have been identified and put into place just 200 meters from the Cannes coastline for people to evacuate to in the event of a tsunami, with signs and markings placed around 80% of the city for people to follow.
“There is no small tsunami, nor any particular season”, recalled the UNESCO official, explaining that a strong, powerful and continuous current of 30 to 50 centimeters of water could prove fatal.
