Hazards: Take Control

HURRICANE
By NEMO Saint Lucia
 DISASTER RISKS FACED BY THE CARIBBEAN
Source: Primer Series by the Global Alliance for Disaster Reduction

EARTHQUAKES

FIRES

HURRICANES
GOAL: REDUCE DISASTER
RISK
VOLCANOES

DEVELOP POLICIES FOR FLOODS

ACTIONS HAVING HIGH
BENEFIT/COST FOR THE
CARIBBEAN REGION LANDSLIDES

MEDICAL EMERGENCIES

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS

GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE

 Hazard: Hurricane

• Hurricane – Amerindian name for the

mighty storms that come though the
Caribbean and Latin America during the
months of June – November.
 Hazard: Hurricane

June, too soon

July, stand by
August, come it must
September, remember
October, all over
November, ???
 Hazard: Hurricane

In 1953, women’s names were used, and in 1979, the

World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the
U.S. National Weather Service switched to a list of
names that also included men's names. The current
list of names recycles every six years, unless a
hurricane gets its name retired. Any nation impacted
by a severe hurricane can lobby the WMO to have
the hurricane's name retired. From 1950 - 2004, 62
hurricanes had their names retired.
 Hazard Defined

http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/hurricane-saffir-simpson.jpg
 Hazard Defined

Out of five (5) businesses which sustained

structural damage due to Tropical Storm
Debby*; three never reopened.

Information from: Draft Preliminary Design Report,

Coastal Protection for Dennery Village

* TS Debby: 1994
 Preparing for Hurricanes

THE KEY IS:

1) KNOW THE DISASTER

HISTORY OF YOUR
REGION

2) KNOW YOUR
COMMUNITY
 Preparing for Hurricanes

IF YOU CHOOSE NOT TO

EVACUATE, YOU MUST
PREPARE TO FIGHT THE
WIND, WATER, DOWNED
TREES, AND MUDSLIDES
THAT ARE COMING
 Preparing for Hurricanes

YOU MUST FIGHT THE RIVER

BY YOURSELF IF YOU
CHOOSE NOT TO EVACUATE
AT THE SAFE TIME
 Preparing for Hurricanes

• Discuss the hazard with your

family.
• Prepare a disaster plan.
• Know the safe zones.
• Prepare an evacuation plan.
• Don’t forget your pets!
 Preparing for Hurricanes

• Groceries
• Hardware [lumber, plywood, nails, roped, wires,
plastic sheeting, sandbags]

• Papers [Passport, ID, Insurance, Mortgage, Wills]

• Medicines and First Aid Supplies
• Baby Supplies
• Animal Supplies
Be sure to rotate your supplies
every six (6) months to a year!
 Preparing for Hurricanes

Livestock Protection

Animals can swim well. DO NOT leave them in

confined areas or pens.
Open gates so that animals can escape.
DO NOT keep them tied -- Remove their ropes so
that they don’t become entangled and so drown.
 Preparing for Hurricanes
• Listen for emergency instructions
• Watch for rapidly rising water
• Store drinking water in sealed plastic containers
as water service may be interrupted.
• Move household items to higher levels
• Get livestock to higher ground
• Evacuate if necessary when it is safe to do so,
don't move quickly.
• Turn off electricity at the main switch before
evacuating
 Preparing for Hurricanes
• Building code
November 30,1999 - The Ministry of
Planning says a National
Building Code for St. Lucia -
three years in the making is about
to come to fruition. The
development of the code has been
further prompted by an increase
is the destructive nature of
natural disasters in recent times,
which has been further
exacerbated by spontaneous
developments in several disaster
prone areas of the country.

As of April 2010 the Building Code has not been adopted

 Preparing for Hurricanes
“It is generally accepted that disaster
mitigation pays. For example, the
World Bank and United States
Geological Survey once calculated
that economic losses worldwide
from natural disasters during the
1990s could be reduced by $280
billion if $30 billion were invested
in disaster mitigation and
preparedness — a ratio of $7
saved for every $1 spent.”

Twigg 2001, p. 3.
 Preparing for Hurricanes

I want to urge you to act now in getting the insured

household percentage up from 35%. I want to
challenge you to strive at a 60% figure for this
year, no matter how painful the financial cost

Dr. Kenny D. Anthony

Prime Minister of Saint Lucia
January 16, 2005
 Preparing for Hurricanes
TIME ACTION
12 hours before impact  Educational Intuitions: Schools, Pre Schools, Day
[minimum time] Care Centres, UWI Extra Mural Department,
Community College etc. have shut down.
 All persons are now at home.
10 hours before impact  The non-essential services personnel of the Public
and Private Sectors have shut down.
 Non-essential persons have been dismissed and are
now at home.
 Essential Services / Personnel as described in Section
Eight [8] remain open a bit longer.
7 hours before impact  Except for Emergency Services the ENTIRE
COUNTRY has shut down.
 The Essential Services of the Public and Private
Sectors have shut down.
 Except for the Emergency Personnel all persons are
now at home.
ZERO Hour [Impact time]  Except for the Emergency Services the ENTIRE
COUNTRY has shut down.
 Everyone is at home.
Preparing for Hurricanes

To Tree or Not to Tree

 Preparing for Hurricanes
Saint Lucia Criminal Code

Statutory Rule and Orders, 1978, No. 10

Public Health (Nuisances) Regulations S3 and S4

Electricity Supply Act No 10 of 1999 S13. (3)

NEMO does not cut trees. However dependant on the scenario these Agencies can help.
 Early Warning Systems

The four components of an early

warning system:
1. Monitor the hazard;
2. Quantify the hazard;
3. A disaster plan to address the
hazard; [Hurricane Response Plan, Flood
Response Plan, Emergency Plan for the
Homeless, Emergency Shelters Policy and Plan]

4. Effective communications for

warning.
 Early Warning Systems
Supplied by Saint Lucia Met Service

slu_weather-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Early Warning Systems

ADVISORY
“Ready”
HURRICANE WATCH
“Set”
HURRICANE WARNING
“Go!”
EVENT

SOURCE: NOAA
Early Warning Systems
 Effects of Hurricanes
The Domino Effect Transmission
Street trees
Line

Infrastructure Green house

damage
Traffic
accident
Strong wind Street

Source: Shanghai Meteorological Bureau

Severe Billboards
convection
Casualty Hurricane Strom surge

Heavy Rain
Farmland
River banks
Inundation
High waves
destroyed
Water Marine
Traffic
logging accident
accident Overflowing
Basement
flooding Plant
Electrocution disease
 Effects of Hurricanes
• WIND FIELD (COUNTER CLOCKWISE
DIRECTION; CAT 1 (74 mph) TO CAT 5 (155
mph or greater)
• STORM SURGE
• HEAVY PRECIPITATION
• LANDSLIDES (MUDFLOWS)
• COSTAL EROSION
• STORM PACKETS (SOMETIMES)

From the Global Alliance for Disaster Reduction

 Effects of Hurricanes
• Beach erosion
• Landslides
• Flooding
• Storm Surges
• Damage to:
 Infrastructure
 Homes
• Increase in insurance premiums
• Death
 Effects of Hurricanes
… knee high waves can
have strong enough
currents to sweep people
off their feet and move
cars and small structures.

Waves half a meter high

can tear buildings off
their foundations.
 Effects of Hurricanes

One storm can take you from the Information Age right back to the
Stone Age.
 Effects of Hurricanes

Tropical Storm
Debbie [1994]

Photo Credit: Gillian Cambers

Fond D’Or Beach, Dennery

Erosion of coastal lands, Rodney Bay

 Effects of Hurricanes
Soufriere Waterfront:
Hurricane Lenny – November
1999

Photo Credit: Saint Lucia Red Cross

 Effects of Hurricanes

Photo Credit: Julian Dubois

Laborie Bay: Hurricane Ivan [September 2004]
 After the Hurricane

• Re-enter buildings with caution. Use flashlights,

not lanterns or torches as flammables may be
inside.
• Be alert for fire hazards such as broken electrical
wires.
• If the building has been under water, do not
switch on the main, wait for professional
assistance. Never touch electrical switches while
wet or standing in water
 After the Hurricane
• Don't use appliances or equipment until they
have been cleaned, dried and thoroughly checked
for damage.
• Report utility lines (electricity, water, LPG gas
and telephone) to the appropriate authorities.
• Boil all water and don't eat left-over food until it
is checked for contamination
• Keep away from disaster areas as your presence
may hamper rescue efforts
 ALL CLEAR
• If the eye of the storm is passing there will
be a moment of calm.
• Remain evacuated!! The intensity of the
storm will return from the opposite
direction.
• Wait for the official “ALL CLEAR”
announcement.
NOTE: Saint Lucia Met Services is the
Official Agency for weather and All Clear.
Other sources don’t aim their info at us.
BE CAREFUL
 Online Resources

National Emergency
Management Plan
http://stlucia.gov.lc/nemp

Family Disaster Plan

http://www.cdera.org/doccentre/familyplan.html
Family Evacuation Plan
http://stlucia.gov.lc/nemp/plans/EvacTemplate.doc
Family Disaster Supplies List
http://www.stlucia.gov.lc/docs/nemo/FamilyDisasterSup
pliesCalendar.pdf