HURRICANE AWARENESS CAMPAIGN IS UNDERWAY
The Office of Disaster Preparedness (ODP) launched a three-week
hurricane awareness campaign on Tuesday aimed at reinforcing
the need for residents to prepare for this type of disaster. Hurricanes
are indeed the most persistent and in many ways the most obvious of the
hazards we face. The Atlantic Hurricane Season began June 1st and runs
until November 30th.
On average, historically, the BVI is struck by a major hurricane
at least once every 30 years. However, this is not supported by any
law of nature. While we may draw comfort from predictions that suggest
that it may not be a particularly active year, there is no way of telling
which year the territory may be affected by a strong hurricane. Thus,
the need to prepare every year.
The theme for this hurricane awareness campaign is “We
Face the Threat Together, Let Us Help Each Other”. Activities will
include
radio, television and newspaper features and the distribution of updated
hurricane tracking charts, posters in English and Spanish and
the revised hurricane brochures.
“What we aim to do is to impress, very deeply, upon
every resident of the British Virgin Islands the need to take account
of this
hurricane hazard and to do the necessary things to prepare for it,”
according to Chairman of the National Emergency Advisory
Council (NEAC), Deputy Governor Elton Georges.
At the start of the season, His Excellency Governor Frank
Savage and Mr. Georges presented radio messages. This campaign
reinforces the theme of personal responsibility for one’s own safety
and preparedness and that of group responsibility, i.e. working
together.
“We have a very laudable tradition in the BVI of helping
each other in times of emergency and we hope to see this continue in spite
of
changes that may be taking place in the community and in spite of individual
prosperity,” Mr. Georges told the media. He said he
wants to see a society that “takes the time and the trouble”
to prepare very carefully and methodically for the hurricane season.
National Disaster Coordinator Franklyn Michael warned residents against
complacency. “Complacency is the great enemy of
effective disaster preparedness.”
He said the ODP wants to guard against residents becoming
laidback about preparing for the season, but instead recognize that we
in
the tropics will always be faced with the threat of hurricanes and be
prepared. “Every year, what we should be doing is asking
ourselves ‘are we as prepared as we can be within the circumstances
and if we are not, what can we do to improve.”
Mr. Michael said this is what’s driving this campaign at the ODP
- ‘what else can we do to raise public awareness?’ He reiterated
the
message from the ODP, which is ‘effective preparedness for hazards
of all kinds really involves a partnership between the
government, the private sector, the community organizations, the individuals
and families of the territory.’
The National Disaster Coordinator noted that the infrastructure
of the ODP in terms of disaster preparedness and the history of the
territory in terms of government’s policy, strategy and resources
provided are quite good. But he said all of this investment could
come to nothing if the entire community does not recognize that everyone
has a role to play.
He also solicited the cooperation of the media to share
information and build awareness about the hazard and in helping to deepen
the
trust the public has in all official actions taken. “And beyond everything
else, we’re hoping that you will be committed to action… in
the face of a direct threat”.
Looking at some of the improvements made by the ODP over
the last year, Mr. Michael mentioned that testing for the AM
component of the National Emergency Broadcast System was tested this week.
He reported that emergency communications on
Anegada, Virgin Gorda and Jost Van Dyke have now been improved with the
installation of satellite telephones in the District Offices.
He said they have also streamlined the emergency operations group, clarified
the major incident lead and support roles in terms of the
various agencies for major incidents.
The Deputy Governor is already in discussions with the Attorney
General’s Chambers to develop Memoranda of Understanding with
regards to cooperation with a wide range of agencies. The emergency contact
list at the ODP has been updated and several training
sessions have already been held in community emergency response and shelter
management. The primary ongoing activity is this hurricane awareness campaign.
The ODP is reviewing shelters, re-stocking emergency kits, servicing generators
and doing daily radio checks.
“In terms of the revitalization of our District Committees,
we are working closely with the ngo’s, service organizations and
the District
Officers on the sister islands,” Mr. Michael stated. He said the
ODP has been in contact by letter with over 40 churches and 18
Primary Schools inviting them to be a part of this entire hurricane awareness
campaign. The hurricane names for 2001 are Allison, Barry, Chantal, Dean,
Erin, Felix, Gabrielle, Humberto, Iris, Jerry, Karen, Lorenzo, Michelle,
Noel, Olga, Pablo, Rebekah, Sebastien, Tanya, Van and Wendy.
The latest update from Professor William Gray was released
June 7th and next on August 3rd. The previous one called for 10 named
storms, 50 storm days, 6 hurricanes of which 2 will be intense and 25
hurricane days. The landfall risk for the Caribbean was regarded as average,
but above average for the U.S mainland. The 2001 season is predicted to
be less average than 1995, 1996, 1998 and 2000.
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