Tropical Storm Elsa as it approached the Caribbean. (Photo from hwn.org) By Franklyn Michael I n Issue 3, of Volume 3 of our CARICAD Horizon newsletter issued in June 2020 we published an article entitled, Preparing for Hurricanes – Suggestions for Public Sector Managers. The passage of Hurricane Elsa on July 2nd and 3rd made us at CARICAD reflect on the many Planning, Leadership, Management, Coordination and Communication challenges that effective responses to hurricanes require. We have decided to reproduce the article with minor editorial changes because of its relevance for the 2021 Hurricane Season. Preparing for hurricanes in CARICAD member states must be done against a backdrop that is different from locations on the mainland of the United States such as Florida or the Carolinas. • Evacuation off-island by road out of the path of the storm; is impossible • Air travel will most likely be suspended in the smallest of the member states even before winds get to tropical storm strength. Airports will be closed during storm/hurricane warnings • Ferry services might have to be suspended because of difficult docking conditions • Some major roads could be flooded before the arrival of a storm • Critical facilities such as hospitals, ports and airports are few. There is little opportunity for quick alternatives • Stockpiles or emergency stores of emergency supplies are very limited • There is a heavy reliance on imported foods especially long-shelf-life food like canned and dried goods • Modern house construction styles, although making homes more salubrious, has made the buildings more vulnerable to wind damage – lengthy overhangs, lots of glass, lower pitched roofs, limited used of hurricane straps CARICAD suggests that all public sector entities plan for the persistent threat of hurricanes and the high probability of impact, somewhere in the region each year. This requires a commitment on the part of public sector supervisors, managers and leaders to embrace preparedness as part of the job and as a way of life. It is important to be thorough and systematic with hurricane preparedness. Make hurricane preparedness (should be all hazard preparedness) a part of organisational culture. In that regard CARICAD suggests the use of a framework such as our BE, KNOW, HAVE and DO model that we have proffered for managing in a crisis, be adapted for hurricane preparedness and recovery after impact. We are at the start of the 2021 hurricane season, so we have adapted the original BEFORE dimension of our model to focus specifically on hurricanes. It is our hope that with continuous improvements in preparedness, fewer lives will be lost and fewer hurricane impacts will become disasters. Continues on next page 8
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