Officials from the Saint Lucia Meteorological Services and the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) recently appeared on the National Television Network (NTN) where they disclosed that the hurricane season is forecast to be more active with more intense hurricanes.

Director of Met. Services, Andre Joyeux, explained that evidence indicates more severe droughts and hurricanes for the Atlantic region going forward.

Director of NEMO, Dorine Gustave, said with the country already battling the COVID-19 pandemic, its resources are stretched thin; therefore the public should not let its guard down. The director noted that preparations for the hurricane season had long commenced. This includes the training and strengthening of District Disaster Committees, as well as new protocols due to the advent of COVID-19.

NEMO has also commenced engagements with the public service so as to implement business continuity plans in case of an emergency. Additionally, a training workshop, geared toward all relevant stakeholders, will be held through the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) on June 4, so as to address situational awareness. NEMO has also gotten approval from the World Bank to procure equipment for the Emergency Operational Center aimed at improving communication including getting more reliable networks, obtaining and installing VHF radios, distributing handheld radios at strategic locations, as well as procuring search and rescue drones.