The meeting, featured remarks from Governor Sarah Tucker and Acting Premier Dr. Samuel Joseph.
Minister Joseph told the gathering, which comprised senior management and heads of departments that Montserrat has been fortunate and it has been quite a while since the island has been impacted by a major hurricane. However, he added, we do need to be prepared and everyone needs to take on the responsibility of being ready.
Kelvin White, the DMCA’s Operations and Logistics Officer said the EOC is maintained in a state of readiness. The inspection of all designated hurricane emergency shelters has been completed.
All emergency generators under the responsibility of the DMCA were inspected and serviced in May. Warehouse inventory has been checked, the testing and maintenance of the early warning systems is completed along with updating relevant communication channels such as satellite phones.
White said that the DMCA is looking at transitioning to a post-COVID-19 policy in the hurricane shelters. They do however, have procedures in place for handling COVID-19 cases should they arise.
There are a total of 420 beds available for emergency shelters. This number could be reduced if COVID-19 cases require a shift in space allocation.
The Atlantic Hurricane Season runs from June 1 until November 30 annually. For the 2022 hurricane season, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is forecasting a likely range of 14 to 21 named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher), of which 6 to 10 could become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher), including 3 to 6 major hurricanes (category 3, 4 or 5; with winds of 111 mph or higher). NOAA provides these ranges with 70% confidence.
Salem
