The Office of Disaster Management (ODM) is advising on the present weather in the Eastern Caribbean indicating that the region is experiencing moderate to severely dry conditions.
The information received point to the fact that Dominica weather is abnormally to moderately dry while Antigua and Barbuda is severely dry and Anguilla as extremely dry. Guyana has advanced its drought plan as it to experiences dryer than normal conditions.
These dry conditions are expected to continue and the Office encourages residents to take all precautionary measures against the effects of brush fires, and against possible dehydration that can be caused by the extreme hot and dry conditions. The ODM also endorses the advisory issued by The Dominica and Ambulance Services against the burning of brush and other debris in open spaces during the dry period. Residents are also being asked to be vigilant and to be careful especially in areas prone to brush fires.
The Disaster Office also encourages the general public to be in a state of readiness and preparedness for the upcoming 2015 Hurricane Season which begins on June 1st 2015 in spite of the predictions published by William Gray (PhD) and Phillip Klotzbach (PhD) late last month.
William Gray and Phillip Klotzbach prediction speaks to a below average season with seven named storms, three Hurricanes and one major Hurricane of Categories 3, 4 or 5. The release from the renowned scientists’ states, “We anticipate that the 2015 Atlantic basin hurricane season will be one of the least active seasons since the middle of the 20th century”. It continued, “It appears quite likely that an El Niño of at least moderate strength will develop this summer and fall and the tropical and subtropical Atlantic are also quite cool at present”. According to the Gray/Klotzbach prediction, we can anticipate a below-average probability for major hurricanes making landfall along the United States coastline and in the Caribbean.
However despite these predictions the Office of Disaster Management reminds residents that it only takes one tropical system/hurricane making landfall to impact the island negatively. Residents are therefore urged not to become complacent and should in fact intensive their preparations as the season draws nearer. The names to be used for the 2015 Hurricane season are Ana (already named outside the US Carolina coast), Bill, Claudette, Danny, Erika, Fred, Grace, Henri, Ida, Joaquin, Kate, Larry, Mindy, Nicholas, Odette, Peter, Rose, Sam, Teresa, Victor, Wanda.
The ODM is encouraging residents to start reviewing their disaster plans, replenishing their disasters kits and supplies and to familiarize themselves with their evacuation routes and emergency shelters.
Residents are further advised to log into the website www.odm.gov.dm; with links to the CDEMA www.weready.org and the www.src.org websites for further details on how to prepare for hurricanes and other hazards. For up to date weather information please log on to www.weather.gov.dm and or call the weather hotline at 447 5555.
Thanks ODM for the reminder and the cautionary notes of warning.
just one comment – Dominicans well sotiwea if it was an article that said is Skerrit or Lennox that causes hurricanes there would be about a 100 comments; poor us!1 hahahaha.
Some bush fires start even though controlled fires are kept away from other dry land as heavy winds carry lit ashes far away from fires causing new fires to erupt in close vicinity. Sometimes fires are controlled without water access and with dry bush everywhere, it is very difficult to control some bush fires causing spreading and further burning of unintentional places. Some fires are put out and a day later there comes another fire erupting from a small lit log that hides small fires that eventually spreads through high winds. Be cautious.
Watch out for those landslides and flash floods. They have been the leading cause of death.