With the official start of the hurricane season, and numerous weather forecasters predicting a more active season in 2024, various stakeholders convened a kickoff meeting on June 7th to discuss several proactive measures in place, in the case of potential storms.

The meeting brought together Island Governor Jonathon Johnson, Island Secretary Bram Streppel, various Department Heads at PES, representatives from the Fire Department, Police Department, Airport, Fort Bay harbor, Saba Cares, and SATEL.

During the meeting, each department provided an overview of their current emergency protocols and identified specific needs to enhance their readiness, such as improved communication equipment for power or internet outages and availability of generators. In addition, ensuring community safety through assessment and reinforcement of infrastructure such as shelters was discussed.

Recommendations were also made by SATEL for residents to have backup analog phones for landlines, in the case of power outages or loss of internet or cellular service.

The commitment of all departments and stakeholders demonstrated the island’s unified approach to hurricane preparedness. By working together, the impacts of hurricanes can be mitigated, thereby enhancing the safety and well-being of our residents.

GIS