With the 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season being only four (4) weeks away, the Department of Disaster Management and Emergencies (DDME) will be observing its Annual Hurricane Preparedness Month (HMP) Campaign beginning Monday 1st May, 2017 under the Theme, “Are You Prepared for the Unexpected?” HPM 2017 seeks to encourage early Hurricane Preparedness by community members, businesses, schools, government and non-government organizations throughout the Turks and Caicos.
Preliminary predictions by the Tropical Meteorology Project at the Colorado University for the 2017 Hurricane Season is forecasting a less average season; with (11) named storms, (4) of which will develop into hurricanes with two (2) developing into a major hurricane (Category 3 or 5).
Despite the predictions for the upcoming hurricane season, the DDME would like to encourage residents to begin preparations early. Additionally, let us be reminded that the formation of storms before the commencement of the Hurricane Season is not unlikely. On April 19th, 2017 a Sub-Tropical Depression was formed in the Central Atlantic, 890 miles West-Southwest of Azore, which later develop into Tropical Storm Arlene; the first named storm for 2017. In 2016, Alex was first hurricane since Alice in 1955 to form in the month of January. Prior to Alice, there was an unnamed storm in 1938.
To this end, the DDME cannot over emphasize the importance of early preparation as Hurricane Awareness and Readiness can help to reduce the impact of hurricane on our lives, communities and businesses. In fact, research has shown that families, individuals, and businesses, who know their vulnerability and who have taken concrete steps to prepare for an event are more likely to increase their chances of surviving than those who are not prepared.
In Dr. Virginia Clerveaux’s (Director of DDME) hurricane preparedness message for 2017, she reminds us that “it takes a single hurricane to wreak havoc on our social, economic and environmental landscape, so irrespective of these predictions, let us do our utmost as a nation and as individuals, to be prepared. Let us strive not to be complacent and let our reflections on past events such as Tropical Storm Hanna and Hurricane Ike in 2008 and other events in neighboring nations such as the Bahamas and Haiti, inform our call to action for this Hurricane Season.”
Several activities have been planned to mark the month, and are as follows:
• State of Preparedness Meeting – May 2, 2017
• Training in Website and Social Media Management for Disaster Management –May 3, 2017
• Ceremony to Launch Hurricane Preparedness Month, North Caicos – May 5, 2017
• National Church Service at the Harvest Bible Chapel, Providenciales – May 7, 2017
• Staff Capacity Building – Governor’s Hurricane Conference – May 13 – 19, 2017
• Art Competition for Primary Schools, May 30, 2017
• Poetry Competition for Primary Schools, May 30, 2017
• Inter High School Debate – May 31, 2017
• Family Plan (with Gender Affairs) -TBD
• Business Continuity Plans for Government and Private Sector – TBD
• Publication of DDME Quarterly Newsletter – May 2017
