Hurricane Debby spares BVI
The BVI has been spared the wrath of yet another threatening hurricane. Hurricane Debby, with maximum sustained winds of up to 75 miles per hour, loomed toward the islands Monday August 21st and was expected to develop into a Category One hurricane by the time it was targeted to reach the BVI sometime during daylight hours on Tuesday.
Reports on Monday indicated that Debby was heading towards the Leeward Islands. According to the reports from the National Hurricane Centre, at 2 a.m., movement was faster than previously predicted and the BVI was within the high probability path of the projected track. "A spiral band, well ahead of the storm, is likely to reach the BVI by this afternoon, bringing with it strong gusts of wind, heavy rains and high tides," a release stated Monday.
A hurricane warning was issued for the BVI as of 11 a.m. Monday for the approaching system, then Tropical Storm Debby. The Emergency Operations Centre was activated on a duty watch basis at 8 p.m. Monday and went on full activation from 9 a.m. Tuesday. Acting Governor and Chairman of the National Emergency Advisory Council (NEAC) Mr. Elton Georges indicated that all government offices, schools and other educational institutions would remain closed on Tuesday, with the exception of essential services. Workers at essential services were expected to monitor the weather developments and take actions in accordance with their hurricane plans. He advised that departments should activate their internal emergency plans and secure government property by the close of business Monday.
The Beef Island Airport remained open Monday, was closed Tuesday but re-opened Wednesday. With the bad weather expected to start late Monday, residents were advised to secure their property and take personal precautionary actions before sundown. From all indications, many residents took heed and secured their homes and stocked up on all the necessary emergency supplies. From the NEOC, fishermen and boat owners were urged to protect their vessels by removing the boat from the sea or fastening and anchoring them securely in a well-protected marine shelter. Such shelters are located at Paraquita Bay, Sea Cow's Bay, Fat Hog's Bay and Beef Island North Channel on Tortola and South Sound, Biras Creek and Deep Bay on Virgin Gorda. They were also encouraged to protect their fish traps, gill and seine nets by removing them from the sea and securing them on land. The Public Works Department also advised the general public to clean up all construction sites of loose items that could possibly become missiles during the storm, place hurricane shutters on all window and door openings, disconnect rainwater gutter downspout if necessary, remove awnings and building signs which may become loose and stay indoors and off the roads to avoid disrupting emergency road cleaning workers.
On Tuesday, the country's zonal committees were activated and as of 10 a.m., some ten shelters were opened. These shelters included the West End Community Centre, Brewer's Bay Community Centre, Sea Cow's Bay Community Centre, Road Town Anglican Church Hall, Purcell Estate New Testament Church of God, East End Community Centre, Jost Van Dyke Primary School, the Anegada Methodist Church and on Virgin Gorda - the Ashford Waters Community Centre and the North Sound Church of God of Holiness. The hurricane warning for the BVI was discontinued and all clear given as of 5 p.m. Tuesday. According to the Chairman of the NEOC, squally weather, rain and gusty winds were still expected across the region and this certainly continued in Virgin Gorda. "As of 4:30 p.m. today, no major damage was reported and therefore government operations will return to normal on Wednesday August 23rd," he declared Tuesday.
The BVI Electricity Corporation took off the electricity sometime after 10 a.m. Tuesday. Crews worked diligently in the aftermath of the storm to ensure that power was restored throughout the islands. Some fallen lines were reported in a few areas, including East End, which delayed the restoration of power. The Public Works Department reported all roads safe and motorable. There were some fallen tree branches, power lines and debris from the sea on certain roads, but nothing major was reported.
A debriefing meeting of the National Emergency Advisory Council was held Wednesday morning. In an interview with The Island Sun newspaper, new National Disaster Coordinator Mr. Franklyn Michael reported that the BVI suffered very little infrastructural damage. He said there was some minor flooding to a couple of government buildings, including clinics and the government building in Anegada. The airport on Virgin Gorda suffered some erosion and will probably be closed for about two weeks. In terms of the fisheries and agricultural sector, the officials there are still conducting their assessment, but reports are they do not anticipate any major damage. Mr. Michael confirmed that there were no deaths, casualties or injuries reported as a result of the passage of the storm. The electricity and water supplies were expected to return to pre-hurricane levels by Wednesday evening. "So basically, the direct impact of Hurricane Debby on the BVI was minimal. The overall economic impact will be assessed subsequently." Mr. Michael told The Island Sun that while Hurricane Debby was not as intense, the storm did in fact come over the BVI. The territory did not get near the level of rain expected, but the winds were as predicted. He reported that all ten of the possible 29 shelters were opened. As it turned out, only three had occupancy. One hundred and 36 sailing trainees from North America occupied the East End Community Centre, while three persons sought refuge at the Anegada Methodist Church and another three at the Road Town Anglican Church Hall.
Residents should be aware that the hurricane season is not over. It runs until November 30th. Everyone is encouraged to remain vigilant and adhere to the advisories put out by the Office of Disaster Preparedness. For those individuals wishing to obtain information on weather conditions affecting the BVI area, there is a free telephone service provided by CCT Boatphone in collaboration with the ODP. If you have a fax machine, utilize this service by switching the machine to manual mode, dial 496-9000 and follow the instructions given by the automated attendant.