GREAT BAY– Chairman of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Governor Franklyn Richards, is reminding residents that the 2009 hurricane season is not yet over, don’t be fooled by the lull in activity, and to continue to be vigilant by monitoring weather reports over the next eight weeks.
Richards added that it was mid-October when major Hurricane Omar, a category three system passed 55 miles from St. Maarten last year causing different types of damage to the island, however due to the quick response of all concerned, the island made a quick recovery and was back in business within a short period of time.
So far for the 2009 hurricane season, there have been six storm systems, namely four tropical storms (Ana, Claudette, Danny and Erika) and two major hurricanes (Bill and Fred). Bill became a category four and Fred a category three hurricane system.
The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the US Climate Prediction Center announced recently that the El Nino weather pattern will strengthen this fall and should produce a below average hurricane season for the Atlantic and Caribbean.
The stronger the El Nino, the lesser the impact will be of storm formation.
The US National Weather Service is forecasting between seven to 11 storms in the Atlantic and Caribbean region this year due to the El Nino effect with three to six becoming hurricanes.
“As a nation, we should fare well this hurricane season, however as the theme of our Office of Disaster Management & Preparedness says, ‘It Only Takes One,’ hurricane to ruin the season. Continue to maintain a state of preparedness until the end of the season,” Governor Franklyn Richards told the Government Information Service (GIS).
Governor Richards would like to express his deepest sympathy to the family, friends, and governments who are currently dealing with the aftermath of an earthquake and tsunami.
On Tuesday, an earthquake caused a tsunami that killed more than 100 people in the South Pacific. On Wednesday, an earthquake shook Western Indonesia killing dozens.
The hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30.
