The Atlantic Hurricane Season is upon us, and major storms have already started forming not so far away.
At the moment, Tropical Storm Cindy is threatening the United States’ Gulf Coast, and other rough weather has been churning in the southern Caribbean.
Though the Virgin Islands is under no immediate threat, that could change very quickly.
This is why the territory needs to be prepared for the worst during this hurricane season, which started June 1 and will continue through Nov. 30.
One need only remember the destruction wrought by previous storms to understand the dangers. Even a non-hurricane can be catastrophic under the right conditions: 2010’s Tropical Storm Otto, for example, unexpectedly dumped heavy rain for days, causing extensive damage that has yet to be completely repaired.
Thankfully, the territory has come a long way since its first disaster preparedness programme was launched in 1983 with a budget of $3,000. Today, the Department of Disaster Management is an important public agency that oversees a robust preparedness programme, which in 2015 became the first of its kind outside of the US and Canada to be accredited by the international Emergency Management Accreditation Programme.
Maintaining that certification, however, will require sustained effort, including the passage of the long delayed Disaster Management Act, which was introduced again in the House of Assembly in May.
The DDM also regularly helps spearhead various important preventive efforts, including an ongoing flood study in Road Town, a revetment project in Cane Garden Bay, and others.
Spurred on in part by the agency’s education efforts, an increasing number of government entities, schools and businesses now have official disaster plans in place as well.
Still, there is much more to be done. On land, for example, many businesses, homes, construction sites and junkyards contain unsecured materials that likely could not be cleaned up quickly in the event of an approaching storm. And at sea, derelict boats remain a serious hazard in many harbours around the territory. The community should work together to eliminate such risks.
All residents should also stockpile non-perishable food items, water and emergency kits, as well as ensuring that they have a disaster plan in place for the whole family, including any pets.
With such measures in place, the VI should be able to rest easier during a season that is now forecast to bring an above-average number of major storms. Though the territory has been spared in recent years, it might not be so lucky this year.
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