The Department of Disaster Management (ODM) says the passing of Tropical Storm (TS) Bertha on Friday night into Saturday was a wakeup call for the nation.
Bertha, the second named storm for the Atlantic hurricane season, passed well south of the country, however the northern fringes of the system did influence weather conditions on the island as had been forecasted by the Meteorological Department of St. Maarten (MDS) late Friday afternoon.
MDS issued a Small Craft Advisory whereby sea conditions were expected to deteriorate quickly as TS Bertha passes south of the island. Seas were expected to peak at nine feet sometime Friday night into Saturday. An increase in shower activity and thunder activity with high winds were also anticipated.
ODM would like to remind the nation that the country is approaching the peak period of the 2014 Atlantic hurricane season.
The peak period runs from mid-August to mid-October with most storm activity taking place in September.
ODM would like the public to use this opportunity to review their personal home and business hurricane season preparations.
For the home, residents should look at what items they have in their yard that could blow away. These should be properly secured in the event of inclement weather.
Other items that are not needed but can be found around the yard should be put outside for waste haulage companies to throw away.
Political party contractors need to review their plans with respect to the billboards that have been erected in different parts of the country. Many billboards were blown down, and therefore parties need to review their plans with respect to the impact that inclement weather can have and what action they will take in the near future.
Contractors and builders need to review their plans with respect to construction sites and to make sure that building materials, containers and other items that could blow away are properly secured in the event of inclement weather.
