The Virgin Islands (VI) has an overall readiness score of 74% for the 2025 Hurricane Season. Photo: Internet Source

Governor Daniel Pruce chaired a National Disaster Management Council meeting on June 2, 2025. Photo: Facebook

Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Hon Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) encouraged residents to be prepared for the 2025 hurricane season. Photo: Facebook

Governor Daniel Pruce revealed this detail following the National Disaster Management Council meeting on June 2, 2025.

“I think we're in good shape, we had an overall readiness score of 74%, which is an increase compared to last year when we were just at 66%, so that's very significant progress,” Governor Pruce said. 

The meeting, chaired by Governor Pruce, was attended by “the full range of partners” from government ministries and agencies to take stock of the collective preparations for this year’s hurricane season. 

While the Governor commended all those who contributed to the increased readiness score, he warned against complacency. 

“We’ll continue to work together across all involved to continue to ensure that we are properly prepared.”

The National Disaster Management Council will meet later this summer to again on the progress of the season and what else can be done to keep the VI’s levels of readiness “as high as possible”, Governor Pruce assured. 

Residents should also be prepared- Premier Wheatley 

Meanwhile, Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Hon Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) encouraged residents to be prepared. 

“We know all too well the potential for devastating impact due to a hurricane or any other type of disaster.”

He said that almost eight years following Hurricanes Irma and Maria, many lessons have been learned from that experience. 

“It has helped us and we must use those lessons to ensure that we are always prepared, to ensure that our communities and families have our own disaster management response plans, that we have our hurricane response kits ready and that we have a plan that we will execute in the event of an impact, that we pay attention to the information being provided by the Department of Disaster Management.”

Premier Wheatley reminded that an active 2025 Hurricane Season has been forecasted, and so it is important that resilience and capacity are built and that the VI is ready in the event of impact. 

Official weather information can be found on the Department of Disaster Management’s app, via radio and its official social media pages, as well as the information shared by the GIS.