PHILIPSBURG (DCOMM):--- The Office of Disaster Management (ODM) is calling on residents to monitor the print media for the pre-hurricane clean-up schedules of Waste Haulage Companies.
Hurricane forecasters have already indicated that the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season will be a busy one.
The Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment, and Infrastructure (Ministry of VROMI) announced in early June about the pre-hurricane clean-up will be carried out by Waste Haulage Companies.
All construction work sites should be cleared of excess debris and hazardous materials in preparation for the hurricane season. Contractors are responsible for the clean-up of their worksites.
Homeowners are advised to safeguard their neighborhoods by cleaning up and removing materials from their yards that may cause damage to nearby properties.
This includes trimming trees, moving bikes, lawn furniture, grills, propane tanks, building materials, etc. Please store all materials or have them fastened down in the proper manner in a safe area.
The community is urged to learn more about hurricane hazards and how to prepare for a storm/hurricane strike by visiting the Government website: www.sintmaartengov.org/hurricane where you will be able to download your “Hurricane Season Readiness Guide’ and “Hurricane Tracking Chart.”
The storm names for the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season are:
Bonnie, Colin, Danielle, Earl, Fiona, Gaston, Hermine, Ian, Julia, Karl, Lisa, Martin, Nicole, Owen, Paula, Richard, Shary, Tobias, Virginie, and Walter.
Listen to the Government Radio station – SXMGOV 107.9FM - for official information and news before, during, and after a hurricane.
For official weather-related information, check out the website of the Meteorological Department of St. Maarten (MDS): www.meteosxm.com
ODM falls under the Fire Department (Ministry of General Affairs) and is headed by Fire Chief/Disaster Coordinator Clive Richardson.
Remember, it only takes one hurricane to make it a bad season. Be prepared this hurricane season!
