BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THOUGH the 2014 Atlantic Hurricane Season ended on November 1, residents of St. Kitts and Nevis are still being urged to maintain vigilance during the off season, especially since the islands are subject to other natural disasters.
National Disaster Coordinator Carl Herbert, while speaking in an exclusive interview with SKNVibes, said the hurricane season passed by without major incidents to the Federation and thanked all for their watchfulness.
“The National Emergency Management Agency wishes to use the opportunity to thank residents for cooperating with us in monitoring the Atlantic Hurricane Season and also in preparing for any likely impact.
“We were not directly impacted by any weather system but we did get quite some rains during the latter part of the season for which we are glad. And we are thankful that the vigilance and preparations did not have to be put in any full gear in order to address any particular threat.”
He wished all an enjoyable, incident-free Christmas and reminded that the Federation is subject to a number of other natural and even man-made disasters, which individuals should be cautious of.
“And we want to urge persons to realise that even though the Hurricane Season has officially ended, it does not mean that we may not get an impact from a weather system; it could be lots of rain which could result in flooding etc. So I want to encourage persons, residents, even though the season has ended, to continue to listen to the local media. NEMA, as usual, in collaboration with the Met office, will provide any information that we determine would be required for residents to transition from danger to safety…
“However, I also want to use the opportunity to remind us that we are also faced with other threats, including earthquakes, which could trigger tsunamis, flooding etc. And so persons should still be vigilant, recognising that we are vulnerable to several hazards and also to be reminded that we ourselves sometimes create some challenges that, if allowed to get out of proportion, can result in national emergencies or disaster, and fires come to mind in particular. And so we want to urge persons to be careful in lighting any fires and to consult the Fire Department is you are going to do any burning…”
Commenting on the 2014 Hurricane Season, Herbert noted that some of the storms deviated from their “projected paths”, which serves as a reminder that “meteorology is not a perfect science.
“From time to time we saw weather systems, the few that developed and came our way, either changed course or moved away from us at any particular time, for which we are grateful. And it also reminds us of the uncertainty of these weather systems and what the level of impact could be.”
He advised that the off season should be used by homeowners to assess and repair any damage their property might carry.
“I want to use the opportunity to encourage homeowners in particular, now that the season has ended, to use the opportunity to do any examination of their properties, especially roofs and windows, and to use the next few months coming to do any preparations, any reinforcements that may be required.”
