Meteorologists caution Bahamians not to relax
NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Meteorologists are predicting another active hurricane season this year, with over 19 named storms, nine hurricanes of which three are expected to become major hurricanes — not dissimilar to last year.
There were 21 named storms projected last season, but The Bahamas was not impacted.
“That is not a license for us to relax,” Department of Meteorology Acting Director Jeffrey Simmons said during a joint National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) presser
“We should be prepared.
“That gives us time to really regroup, especially from Dorian and Joaquin and Matthew that plagued us for several consecutive years.
“We are asking everyone to be prepared.”
Simmons said the department is prepared and has performed the necessary checks of equipment across the Family Islands since January.
He pointed out that with warmer water due to climate change storms are expected to become increasingly stronger each season.
He also expressed concerns about storm surges that accompany major storms and cause significant damage.
To that end, Simmons said a pilot project storm surge atlas was launched on Grand Bahama and Eleuthera that can accurately determine the level of storm surge and where it can be expected with a storm approaching.
He said officials who have been testing the program were satisfied and it is hoped that the project can be launched on every island in the future.
“This is the level of forecasting that we at the Department of Meteorology are striving toward and it is just a matter of [engaging] international partners that we work with to assist us with our funding and we have already gotten the funding for the pilot project,” he said.
Simmons also noted that The Bahamas has four active Doppler radars, providing accurate and timely projections of weather disturbances, including tornadic activity, and heavy rainfall.
A fifth Doppler radar is expected to be installed on Inagua in August, proving better coverage of the archipelago.
As a result of earlier storms, Simmons said the extension of the hurricane season has been discussed, but there is not sufficient evidence to do so at this time.
However, he said tropical storm outlooks have begun to be issued as of mid-May.
“We are always on watch, we’re always on the lookout because a few years ago we had a tropical storm forming in January,” he said.
During the presser, Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister Myles Laroda, who has ministerial responsibility for the Ministry of Disaster Preparedness, Management and Reconstruction, said the government has devised a comprehensive disaster management strategy that encompasses the management, mitigation, response and rehabilitation of all hazards to the nation.
He said communities must be actively involved in their preparedness and safety.
