#BTEditorial – You prepared for a pandemic. Now brace for more storms.

Nine days before today’s start of the hurricane season, subtropical storm Ana became its first named storm.

For the seventh straight year, the Atlantic Hurricane season has begun to churn out cyclones ahead of the official June 1 date.

The system was the first of what hurricane forecasters, including the respected Colorado State University, predict will be an “above-normal” season. Over the next six months, we can expect 17 named storms and eight hurricanes, with four of those predicted to be major storms.

Early storms are increasingly becoming the norm, so much so that the National Hurricane Center said it would start issuing its weather updates from mid-May rather than June 1.

Michael J. Brennan, branch chief of the Hurricane Specialist Unit at the National Hurricane Center said: “Given recent increased tropical cyclone activity in the Atlantic basin in late May, routine issuance of the Atlantic [Tropical Weather Outlook] starting on May 15 offers a service improvement over unscheduled Special [Tropical Weather Outlooks] that are issued to discuss the possibility of tropical cyclone formation prior to the official start of hurricane season on June 1.”

Last year was the most active hurricane season on record: of 30 named storms, 13 became hurricanes and there were six big ones of Category 3 and above.

Every season is different. But with it comes the same threat — strong winds, heavy rain and a powerful storm surge that can cause severe damage to structures along the coast.

Thankfully Barbados has been spared the direct impact of any intense system in recent times. But we have enough warnings from freaky weather patterns that we cannot afford to play loose with our preparedness

Surely, we are all too aware that heavy rainfall and brisk winds often cause havoc for us.  So, it is simply smart to be ready for any eventuality.

Fortunately, we have technology that offers pretty accurate projections of when and where storms are going to hit and the likely impact. But even with that, there is no guarantee. A storm by its very nature can easily shift course.  Just be prepared

Home Affairs Minister Wilfred Abraham at a national press conference Tuesday to mark the start of the hurricane season signalled the country has mobilized its resources to respond to whatever might come our way.

Abrahams said: “It is apparent that Barbados has been in a constant state of response dealing with hazard, after hazard, after hazard for an extended period. To ensure national-level operational readiness to respond to hazard events that we may experience during the 2021 hurricane season the Government through the National Emergency Management System continues to undertake our preparedness, readiness and coordination activities.

“The reality is that we will eventually have a significant weather event in Barbados and each year the odds of this happening gets greater and greater.

“In this season, complacency is our enemy. There is no room for complacency in this hurricane season. We have to get ourselves ready and we have to remain ready until the end of the hurricane season.”

Readiness is indeed the key to surviving any storm, and if you haven’t completed your preparations, please start to prepare your homes and families in the coming days.

Start with the most obvious: gather your supplies. Stock up on necessary items such as food for people and pets, water, flashlights, batteries, cell-phone power banks, weather radio and other essentials. Prepare now to avoid the rush of panic buying later.

Remember, too, that this is the era of the coronavirus. Add your face masks, hand sanitisers and disinfecting wipes to your storm kit.

Having a supply of medications is a must. So too is a waterproof container for important papers including birth certificates, deeds, drivers’ licence and insurance documents.

Check your homes, roofs, gutterings, windows. Fix any issues as early as possible,

Assess your insurance coverage. Make sure your home and contents are well covered.

Find out where your closest shelter is located and have a plan in place to evacuate your home should the need arise.

On this first day of the hurricane season, the skies were blue and the seas were calm. But storm clouds can roll in on short notice. Don’t leave your safety to chance. Be prepared this hurricane season.