National Security Minister Wayne Caines

With Sub-Tropical Storm Andrea already on the charts, National Security Minister Wayne Caines issued a reminder in the House of Assembly on Friday for residents to be prepared for the season that started on June 1 and runs through to the end of November.

In a Ministerial Statement, Mr Caines told MPs that the Emergency Measures Organisation (EMO) Executive, met on June 5 to discuss “the island’s preparedness as we enter Hurricane Season”.
Apart from “some fine tuning”, he said all EMO agencies “stand ready should a hurricane threaten our shores”.
Sixty plus agencies that form the wider EMO, have undertaken “preparedness activities” being “coordinated and documented by the Disaster Risk Reduction and Mitigation Team which works out of Ministry Headquarters”.
He also noted that “the latest hurricane forecast by international agencies have predicted an average season with thirteen named storms, six hurricanes and two major hurricanes”.
But he was mindful “that Hurricanes FAY and GONZALO hit Bermuda in 2014, JOAQUIN hit Bermuda in 2015 and NICOLE hit
Bermuda in 2016″.
“In 2017 and 2018 Bermuda was spared any hurricane activity,” said Mr Caines.
“It only takes one hurricane to make 2019 an active season for Bermuda, and I urge all residents to be prepared:
  • Now is the time to prepare and repair your house for hurricane season
  • Now is the time to look at your family plans and update them with any changes to phone numbers etc
  • Now is the time to take stock of all medical prescriptions that your family and pets require and ensure you have at least two weeks supply on hand
  • Now is the time to check your hurricane kit to make sure you have working flashlights, a portable radio with spare batteries and a stock of non-perishable food to last your family for seven days
  • Now is the time to look at your neighbours and ask them if they need any help with their preparations

The Minister noted that the ‘Tree Frog’ app was released in April “to alert all users to news and alerts posted by the Bermuda Government”, which includes “any alerts posted by the Emergency Measures Organisation that the public needs to be urgently aware of”.

“I urge all in this Honourable House and all of Bermuda’s residents to sign up for this app, which is free, to ensure that you receive any emergency alerts,” said Mr Caines.

He noted that the Disaster Risk Reduction and Mitigation Team (DRRM) will hold “a further EMO meeting for all EMO agencies in late August, to update the country on the last hurricane season forecast for 2019, which will be published at the beginning of August”.

“The work of the DRRM team is important in ensuring that Bermuda is prepared for any large scale disaster,” he said.

The Minister also said he will update the House “on this work and the important work of all of the Departments and Units” within his Ministry.