4 In 2021, Hurricane Preparedness will still be taking place in a COVID-19 context. (Photo by Franklyn Michael) T he COVID-19 crisis continues to unfold even though the levels of infection may now be lower in many CARICAD member states than in June 2020. This means that in 2021, hurricane Preparedness and if necessary Response and Recovery will still be taking place in a COVID-19 context. Effective procedures in the Preparedness phase, (long before any potential hurricane threats) are vital for proficient Response and Recovery. The 2021 hurricane season is forecast to be above average in level of activity once again. In April of this year, the Colorado State University (CSU) predicted 17 named storms for the season. They also predicted four major hurricanes. They forecasted 80 named storm days and 35 hurricane days. Those estimates are well above the long-term averages. The CSU forecast will have been updated in June after circulation of this our special hurricane season newsletter. The April forecast described above suggests that CARICAD member states should plan for the probability that impacts from a storm or hurricane might occur. The novel Coronavirus was first reported in the Caribbean during the first week of March 2020. Our member states have been responding to the resultant pandemic for more than a year now. The macroeconomic, fiscal, societal and psychological effects have been severe. Deaths have been attributed to the virus in all member states Extensive lockdowns had severe economic consequences. The lockdowns sometimes had to be repeated thus exacerbating the negative effects Governments’ expenditures have increased markedly and revenues have fallen even more dramatically than expenditures have increased Unemployment and underemployment remain high in several member states Continues on next page
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