HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS Although it is believed by many that Trinidad and Tobago is not susceptible to hurricanes we are still located in the southern edge of the hurricane belt and therefore can be directly hit or impacted by the outer bands of tropical disturbances, storms and hurricanes. By Ms. Kerri Griffith Training Assistant, Curriculum Development and Training Department
T
he Caribbean region is highly susceptible to a variety of hazards that has the potential to result in significant physical, social and economic loss. One such hazard that has continuously battered the region is tropical storms/ hurricanes. In the Caribbean the hurricane season begins on June 1st and ends on November 30th. Within the last three years the region has been impacted by three noteworthy hurricanes namely
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Irma and Maria which occurred in 2017 and Dorian which occurred in 2019. After observing the severe impacts on our Caribbean neighbours particularly British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Barbuda and The Bahamas the need for implementing suitable mitigation and adaptation measures was reinforced. Although it is believed by many that Trinidad and Tobago is not susceptible to hurricanes we are still located in the southern edge of the hurricane belt and
therefore can be directly hit or impacted by the outer bands of tropical disturbances, storms and hurricanes. Therefore, we need to be prepared for the current hurricane season and below are some helpful tips proposed by the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management in Trinidad and Tobago (ODPM) in their Wet Season/ Hurricane Preparedness Guide 2019:
Hurricane in the Caribbean,
CARIBBEAN FISHERIES TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE courtesy YinTang, credit Gettiy Images
