Officials Urge Residents to Prepare as Hurricane Season Begins

As the 2026 Atlantic Hurricane Season officially gets underway, Montserrat’s leaders are urging residents, businesses and government agencies not to become complacent after several years without a major hurricane impact.

The message delivered repeatedly during the Annual Hurricane Conference hosted by the Disaster Management Coordination Agency (DMCA) was simple: Be Prepared. Stay Prepared. It Only Takes One.

Governor Harriet Cross, Premier Reuben T. Meade and DMCA Director Lt. Col. Alvin Ryan all stressed that while forecasts suggest a quieter-than-average hurricane season, preparedness remains essential for everyone living and working on the island.

Addressing representatives from government departments, emergency services, utilities, businesses and community organisations, Governor Cross reminded attendees that disaster preparedness is not a seasonal responsibility but a year-round obligation.

“If you are a leader in your organisation, whether that’s private sector or public sector, then disaster preparedness is one of your responsibilities,” she said.

The governor noted that although Montserrat escaped major hurricane impacts last year, severe rainfall and flooding events demonstrated that significant damage can occur even outside of tropical storm systems.

She praised work undertaken since last year’s flooding, particularly improvements to drainage infrastructure, while encouraging organisations to review their continuity plans, update staff responsibilities and ensure critical records and assets are protected.

Premier Meade reflected on Hurricane Hugo, the Category 4 storm that devastated Montserrat in 1989, saying advances in forecasting, communications and emergency management now provide far more warning than was available at the time.

“At this stage in our history, we cannot make the same mistakes because we have the technology,” he said.

The premier encouraged residents not only to review workplace preparedness plans but also to create emergency plans for their households.

“We need to get our own action plan for our own houses as well,” he said.

He advised residents to begin purchasing emergency supplies gradually rather than waiting until a storm is approaching.

“You don’t have to buy everything one time. Buy what you can afford this month, buy what you can afford next month and so on,” he said.

The premier also stressed the importance of checking on neighbours, relatives and colleagues following a storm before expecting staff to return to work.

“We have to ensure that they are okay before we ask them to come into the office,” he said.

For Lt. Col. Ryan, the start of the hurricane season is less about launching preparations and more about reinforcing work that should already be underway.

“This conference is not a signal of the start of our preparations for the season,” he told participants. “It is meant to mark the day in a significant way while encouraging those who have not already done so to get prepared.”

Ryan warned that a forecast of fewer storms should not create a false sense of security.

“History has proven that it only takes one storm to cause catastrophic damage to an island, large or small,” he said.

The director pointed to lessons learned from recent hurricanes across the Caribbean, noting that families, businesses and communities that take concrete preparedness measures recover more quickly and suffer fewer losses than those that wait until a storm is imminent.

Residents were encouraged to review family emergency plans, secure their properties, replenish emergency supplies and stay informed through official channels, including ZJB Radio and the DMCA’s social media platforms.

The conference also heard updates from government ministries and emergency agencies on hurricane readiness across critical sectors including health, education, agriculture, infrastructure, emergency communications and public safety.

The Atlantic Hurricane Season runs from June 1 to November 30.

While forecasters are predicting a below-average season overall, officials say the outlook should not distract from a simple reality.

It only takes one.