Citizens and residents of Montserrat, over the past 48 hours, Hurricane Irma has intensified and continues to move West South West, passing through the Leeward Islands. Montserrat along with the rest of the Leeward Islands are now officially under a Hurricane Warning.
The National Hurricane Centre has predicted that by the time Irma reaches the vicinity of the Leeward Islands, it could be a Category 4 hurricane with wind speeds of 140 miles per hour.
The Government of Montserrat is taking all precautions to ensure that all lives are protected.
The Antigua Met office has indicated that rough seas are expected by Tuesday, with waves of up to 10ft and increasing to 17ft by Wednesday. Consequently, the ferry service for Tuesday was cancelled and the ferry has already departed for shelter until the weather subsides. Fly Montserrat and SVG have also indicated that they will be heading to safety by Tuesday morning. So this means that there will be no Access in and out of Montserrat for the rest of the
week until Friday morning, September 8th.
As I mentioned in my previous statement, hurricanes are unpredictable and should be taken seriously. I cannot stress enough that now is the time to get all preparations in place.
ï‚· Residents must stock up on food, water and medication.
ï‚· Remove all loose debris from your surroundings.
 Check on the sick and vulnerable in your community and seek assistance for them, where required.
 Persons who are unsure of the safety of their houses should move to the nearest shelter, or to the home of a neighbor or friend.
ï‚· Fishermen are expected to have their boats removed from the water and secured.
Farmers and other residents with livestock should ensure that the animals are safe.
We continue to stress the importance of staying tuned to ZJB Radio for updates. Once the weather deteriorates, the Government wishes to remind residents that all persons should stay indoors. Only emergency vehicles are expected to be on the roads, especially since we are prone to debris from landslides with large rocks and trees obstructing the roads.
I will keep reiterating that it is better to be over prepared, than to be caught in a state of unpreparedness. It is expected that all residents will cooperate, open your homes to those in need and continue to pray for God’s protection on our Island.
May God Bless us all as we remember to put safety first.
