DDM looking to establish up to 40 Hurricane Shelters - SFC Report
This was revealed in the report on the deliberations of the Standing Finance Committee (SFC) held between November 20 and 29, 2019 at the Office of the House of Assembly in Road Town, Tortola.
Planning for 2020 & Ahead
According to Mr Jason Penn, Emergency Communications Director of Disaster Management, a number of shelters would be retrofitted and upgraded ahead of the 2020 hurricane season and these details came following inquires from Hon Mark H. Vanterpool (R4) on what knowledge was gained from devastating hurricanes Irma, Maria and Dorian and the plans moving forward.
The report stated that Mrs Sharleen S. Dabreo-Lettsome, Acting Permanent Secretary, Deputy Governor’s Office (Ag.PSDGO) stated that prior to hurricane Irma less than 1% of the population was occupying shelters. It said that after Irma, about four hundred (400) persons were in official shelters.
The report continued, "she stated that there are twenty-eight (28) to thirty (30) shelters with the potential to increase to forty (40), which will include areas that are not close to the shoreline."
According to the PSDGO, the DDM is also considering higher elevations for buildings, which according to them remains a challenge due to the VI being a "small country" and most areas are surrounded by sea.
Bahamians were 'streaming' during Dorian - Hon Fraser
Assessing the VI's communications infrastructure during Irma and Maria of 2017, Hon Julian Fraser RA (R3) stated that during the havoc caused by Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas, persons were still streaming live and had internet and electricity.
"Yet there are persons prepared to concede that the British Virgin Islands was in a better place after hurricane Irma, despite our entire telecommunications and electricity infrastructure being destroyed," he said.
Hon Fraser recognised the DDM for the recovery work post-Irma and urged them to continue on the level of competence shown during the period.
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12 Responses to “DDM looking to establish up to 40 Hurricane Shelters - SFC Report”
A critical part of preparing for a major hurricane hit is providing ride-out shelters for emergency personnel, essential personnel and residents desiring safe shelter. However, the shelters must be more than a building with walls and a roof. The shelters preferably should be on higher ground, structurally sound enough to withstand at least at least the minimum wind speed/rating of the approaching storm (for a cat 3, the min wind speed/rating is 111 mph) and the doors and windows properly shuttered---batten down the hatches. The objective is to keep the wind out. Every identified shelter should undergo an engineering evaluation to determine the minimum wind load it can safely withstand. As the DDM move forward with its mission of protecting the public, the territory, it must add pre disaster risk reduction (DRR) mitigation actions to its tool kit.