Leaders Collaborate to Plan Coordinated Response for Hurricane Season

Government agencies and key partners pledged to continue working together to ensure that the Virgin Islands are as prepared as possible for the hurricane season.

The annual meeting of the National Disaster Management Council (NDMC) held on June 22, was chaired by His Excellency the Governor, John J. Rankin, who emphasized the importance of close collaboration in ensuring adequate preparedness. The Premier, Honourable Dr. Natalio Wheatley, echoed the sentiment, thanking the council for their commitment to improving the Territory’s resilience.

Updates were shared on key actions taken so far, including inspections of marine and land-based emergency shelters, structural integrity checks for key public facilities, repairs at schools, ghut clearance, training for first responders, and testing of emergency plans.

Deputy Governor David D. Archer, Jr. provided an overview of the 2023 Public Service Readiness Assessment, which aims to gather data about response plans, emergency operations plans, and measures to protect public officers and equipment.

The group also heard reports on key public sector readiness from Director of Disaster Management Jasen Penn and on disaster risk reduction activities from BVI Red Cross Director Stacy Lloyd. DDM Meteorologist Andrew Jackson provided a hurricane season outlook.

The meeting marked the council’s first in-person gathering since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. NDMC is responsible for carrying out actions in keeping with the Disaster Management Act and the Virgin Islands Comprehensive Disaster Management Strategy. The group includes Permanent Secretaries, the Financial Secretary, as well as leaders from key government departments, statutory bodies, and non-governmental partners.