Have you prepared for this year’s Atlantic Hurricane Season?
If not, you’re already behind.
The official season started on June 1, meaning that a major storm could form at any time.
And because of climate change, hurricanes are growing more frequent and more powerful even as the sea level rises and protective coral reefs degrade.
Forecasters are predicting a busy year, with 17 named storms developing during the June-through-November season. Nine are expected to grow into hurricanes, with four reaching “major hurricane” strength of Category Three or higher.
Between 1991 and 2020, by contrast, the average hurricane season had 14 named storms and seven hurricanes, three of which were “major.”
That said, the number of storms is rather beside the point. One need only remember Hurricane Irma in 2017 to understand how a single direct hit can bring the territory to its knees.
Fortunately, many lessons were learned that year. The private sector has led the way back in many respects: rebuilding stronger homes and businesses; bolstering preparedness measures; and establishing response protocols that include remote work and employee support.
The public sector has done some good work as well, including by storm-proofing certain infrastructure, schools and community centres it has rebuilt.
But in too many other areas, the government remains far behind. Nearly eight years after Irma, leaders still haven’t sourced the needed funding to keep their post-Irma promises to build back stronger.
As a result, some hurricane shelters still aren’t ready, and the Department of Disaster Management is based in temporary headquarters while work on the new National Emergency Operations Centre has stalled.
Meanwhile, post-Irma repairs to the government’s main administration building are still in limbo, derelict boats litter the waters, and promised road and drainage works remain undone.
Then there’s the water and electricity situation. Given that the territory has experienced repeated outages during balmy weather in recent months, one wonders how these systems could possibly withstand heavy winds.
Equally troubling is the fact that last year Tropical Storm Ernesto — which didn’t even reach hurricane strength while passing the territory — knocked power offline for days in some areas.
We hope that such vulnerabilities will be addressed quickly now that the government has secured a $100 million loan earmarked largely for Irma recovery projects.
In the meantime, public agencies must take the usual preparatory steps right away: clearing ghuts and implementing other flood-control measures; trimming trees and bush away from power lines; securing public buildings and work sites; warning the public, and much more.
Similarly, businesses, non-profit organisations and individual residents must prepare by reviewing their emergency plans, stocking supplies including food and water, checking storm shutters, removing debris from their properties, and so on.
In other words, everyone must hope for the best while preparing for the worst. This work should be under way already.
But if not, it must start now.
