Dr. Douglas recently expressed that a number of incidents have taken place where the wrath of “Mother Nature” has been felt by countries across the globe and while St. Kitts has been spared in recent years, there is no room for complacency.
“The financial and economic health of our nation is one thing. Your personal safety is another matter and on this we are going to have to work as a team. We are now…in…June and this means that the hurricane season is also here. In other countries, Mother Nature has been particularly harsh of late. We’ve all seen the floods, we’ve seen the droughts, we’ve seen the volcanoes, we’ve seen the earthquakes, we’ve seen the tsunamis. Mercifully, we have been spared.”
His admonition to the Federation was to pay close attention to the weather updates which would be broadcast on television and he also urged that local weather reports emanating from NEMA and other entities we accessed and closely monitored for St. Kitts Nevis-centred information.
“Nonetheless it is absolutely essential that we all make a point of following the hurricane related advice and guidelines provided by the government through the National Emergency Management Agency. We simply cannot wait until there is a hurricane actually barreling across the Atlantic, to be calling NEMA to find out what we should be doing in advance of the hurricane. So give NEMA a call today, pick up a pamphlet; do whatever is required to ensure that you and your family know what should be done in advance of any hurricane so that if, heaven forbid, there should be one sometime this season, you will be prepared.”
“Also, no matter how closely you may monitor The Cable’s weather channel, remember that it is absolutely essential that you also follow the hurricane advisories that are issued by our own local authorities. They will have the most relevant and the most St. Kitts and Nevis specific information. So help yourselves and help your families by making sure that NEMA and their guidelines play a key role in any safety plans that you and your loved ones begin putting in place today.”