Tweet
Government unprepared for Hurricane Season
The 2007 Atlantic Hurricane Season officially begins Friday and the authorities have been caught unprepared.
Just days after admitting that the annual pre-hurricane drain cleaning exercise is behind schedule, Local Government Minister Dean Peart has disclosed that there is a delay in the purchase of emergency supplies.
These include basic items such as mattresses and blankets for the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management.
Mr. Peart says efforts are being made to purchase the supplies before the end of the month.
In the meantime, the Jamaica Labour Party has called an emergency press conference to discuss the country's preparedness for the Hurricane Season.
The press conference will be chaired by Opposition Spokesman on Local Government Shahine Robinson and Spokesman on Disaster Preparedness Pearnel Charles.
And as preparations go into high gear for the Hurricane Season the National Works Agency (NWA) says its response teams across the island are on alert.
NWA Spokesman Stephen Shaw says this is standard procedure for the Hurricane Season.
In the meantime, meteorologists are bracing for what is expected to be an extremely active Hurricane Season.
Head of the Weather Branch, Evan Thompson, says at least seven hurricanes are predicted.
Weather specialists say the above normal predictions for 2007 are based on the oscillating seasonal changes that occur every 20 to 30 years.
They say the warmer than average Atlantic Ocean is also a factor.
The US-based National Hurricane Centre is already monitoring an area of thunderstorms stretching from the southeastern Gulf of Mexico into the Caribbean.
Forecasters say the system is not expected to become a tropical storm or hurricane, but it could produce high winds and heavy rains in Southeast Texas.
The 2007 Atlantic Hurricane Season officially begins Friday and the authorities have been caught unprepared.
Just days after admitting that the annual pre-hurricane drain cleaning exercise is behind schedule, Local Government Minister Dean Peart has disclosed that there is a delay in the purchase of emergency supplies.
These include basic items such as mattresses and blankets for the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management.
Mr. Peart says efforts are being made to purchase the supplies before the end of the month.
In the meantime, the Jamaica Labour Party has called an emergency press conference to discuss the country's preparedness for the Hurricane Season.
The press conference will be chaired by Opposition Spokesman on Local Government Shahine Robinson and Spokesman on Disaster Preparedness Pearnel Charles.
And as preparations go into high gear for the Hurricane Season the National Works Agency (NWA) says its response teams across the island are on alert.
NWA Spokesman Stephen Shaw says this is standard procedure for the Hurricane Season.
In the meantime, meteorologists are bracing for what is expected to be an extremely active Hurricane Season.
Head of the Weather Branch, Evan Thompson, says at least seven hurricanes are predicted.
Weather specialists say the above normal predictions for 2007 are based on the oscillating seasonal changes that occur every 20 to 30 years.
They say the warmer than average Atlantic Ocean is also a factor.
The US-based National Hurricane Centre is already monitoring an area of thunderstorms stretching from the southeastern Gulf of Mexico into the Caribbean.
Forecasters say the system is not expected to become a tropical storm or hurricane, but it could produce high winds and heavy rains in Southeast Texas.