Fifteen tropical storms
are expected to form in what is expected to be an active 2010 Atlantic
Hurricane Season.
Researchers at the Colorado State University in the United States have predicted that eight of these are expected to develop into hurricanes and of the eight, four are expected to be intense.
The season runs from June 1 through to November 30.
The predictions were announced at the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), Hurricane Preparedness Month launch on Thursday.
Last year's season was considered below normal, with only three of the nine Tropical cyclones predicted, developing into hurricanes and two into major hurricanes.
Hurricane Ida wreaked havoc on El Salvador claiming 91 lives, while Hurricane Bill did not make landfall in the Caribbean but did cause some devastation in the United States.
Sylvia McGill, Director of the National Meteorological Service, explained that last year's below normal season was caused by the developing El Nino system.
La Nina to bring more storms
She says with the El Nino system now weakening, the prediction is for an active hurricane season.
"By the time the hurricane season starts, we should be moving into a neutral El Nino situation which is neither El Nino nor La Nina. With the La Nina, hurricane activity in the Atlantic Ocean increases and as such, the forecast is for an active hurricane season," Mrs. McGill said.
She added that the rains are expected to begin next month as per usual.
Getting prepared
As in previous years Ronald Jackson, Director General of the ODPEM, did not say whether Jamaica is prepared in the event a hurricane or tropical storm makes landfall.
Rather, he pointed out that the ODPEM has been trying to get the country prepared as best as possible.
"We've also through the support of the IDB (Inter-American Development Bank), we've been working with communities to take them more resilient. It involves training, capacity building in first aid, light level search and rescue and also helping them to design disaster management plans," Mr. Jackson said.
One hundred and twenty new Shelter Managers have also been trained.
Flood gate plans on track
Meanwhile, Robert Montaque, State Minister responsible for Local Government, who was also at Thursday's launch of Hurricane Preparedness Month, said plans to install flood gates in the Bog Walk Gorge in St. Catherine have not been abandoned.
Mr. Montaque noted that the flood gates should be constructed before the start of the hurricane season.
Additionally, two other flood gates are also to be installed at Kent Village and Dam Head also in St. Catherine.
The gates are intended to stop motorists from entering the Gorge during severe weather where flooding is imminent.
Persons will also be warned of the danger of rising water in the Gorge via electronic boards.
No dumping of building materials in drains
And Parish Councils will be partnering with the ODPEM in serving notices on builders who dump materials in drains resulting in them becoming blocked.
Mr. Montaque said they have become a hazard during heavy rainfall or flooding.
"What we have decided to do is to collect them because the parish councils can do with the extra revenue when we collect and resell those building materials. If you're going to build, you must know where you're going to store your building materials and the road is not a storage facility," he said.
Researchers at the Colorado State University in the United States have predicted that eight of these are expected to develop into hurricanes and of the eight, four are expected to be intense.
The season runs from June 1 through to November 30.
The predictions were announced at the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), Hurricane Preparedness Month launch on Thursday.
Last year's season was considered below normal, with only three of the nine Tropical cyclones predicted, developing into hurricanes and two into major hurricanes.
Hurricane Ida wreaked havoc on El Salvador claiming 91 lives, while Hurricane Bill did not make landfall in the Caribbean but did cause some devastation in the United States.
Sylvia McGill, Director of the National Meteorological Service, explained that last year's below normal season was caused by the developing El Nino system.
La Nina to bring more storms
She says with the El Nino system now weakening, the prediction is for an active hurricane season.
"By the time the hurricane season starts, we should be moving into a neutral El Nino situation which is neither El Nino nor La Nina. With the La Nina, hurricane activity in the Atlantic Ocean increases and as such, the forecast is for an active hurricane season," Mrs. McGill said.
She added that the rains are expected to begin next month as per usual.
Getting prepared
As in previous years Ronald Jackson, Director General of the ODPEM, did not say whether Jamaica is prepared in the event a hurricane or tropical storm makes landfall.
Rather, he pointed out that the ODPEM has been trying to get the country prepared as best as possible.
"We've also through the support of the IDB (Inter-American Development Bank), we've been working with communities to take them more resilient. It involves training, capacity building in first aid, light level search and rescue and also helping them to design disaster management plans," Mr. Jackson said.
One hundred and twenty new Shelter Managers have also been trained.
Flood gate plans on track
Meanwhile, Robert Montaque, State Minister responsible for Local Government, who was also at Thursday's launch of Hurricane Preparedness Month, said plans to install flood gates in the Bog Walk Gorge in St. Catherine have not been abandoned.
Mr. Montaque noted that the flood gates should be constructed before the start of the hurricane season.
Additionally, two other flood gates are also to be installed at Kent Village and Dam Head also in St. Catherine.
The gates are intended to stop motorists from entering the Gorge during severe weather where flooding is imminent.
Persons will also be warned of the danger of rising water in the Gorge via electronic boards.
No dumping of building materials in drains
And Parish Councils will be partnering with the ODPEM in serving notices on builders who dump materials in drains resulting in them becoming blocked.
Mr. Montaque said they have become a hazard during heavy rainfall or flooding.
"What we have decided to do is to collect them because the parish councils can do with the extra revenue when we collect and resell those building materials. If you're going to build, you must know where you're going to store your building materials and the road is not a storage facility," he said.
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