BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, May 31, 2024 (SKNIS) – Citizens and residents of St. Kitts and Nevis are strongly encouraged to take the necessary precautionary measures now in preparation for what is predicted to be an above-normal 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season, which officially starts on June 01.
The urgency for early preparation was stressed by Prime Minister the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew, during his May 31, 2024, edition of the Roundtable discussion with members of the local media.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), one of the leading institutions for weather forecasting, is predicting a range of 17 to 25 total named storms for the season with winds of 39 miles per hour (mph) or higher. Of those, eight to 13 are forecast to become hurricanes with winds of 74 mph or higher, including 4 to 7 major hurricanes of category 3, 4 or 5.
“This year is going to be as active as it is going to be because of climate change,” said Prime Minister Dr. Drew. “This year we will see an increase in the number of storms and severity of the storms. We know that the season starts June 01, but we also know that we started seeing the conditions for adverse weather effects in May as a result of climate change and El Niño…and so I want to urge our people to prepare.”
Dr. Drew assured that the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Nevis Disaster Management Department (NDMD) are in a state of readiness for the upcoming season.
In addition, the honourable prime minister said he has instructed NEMA to conduct a readiness drill before the peak of the hurricane season “so that in the event [of a hurricane] we would have already had some level of practice and institutional memory in how to deal with these storms.”
Prime Minister Dr. Drew will deliver his annual national address on the occasion of the start of the Hurricane Season on Saturday, June 01, at 7:00 a.m. on ZIZ Radio and Television. The prime minister’s address will also be available on the Facebook and YouTube pages of the St. Kitts and Nevis Information Service (SKNIS).
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