No major overhaul for country’s National Hurricane Plan

Deputy Chief Secretary,  Donovan Ebanks	Hon Roy Bodden, Minister of Education

Tuesday, March 29, 2005

According to Deputy Chief Secretary Donovan Ebanks, there are going to be no major changes to the country’s Hurricane Plan. 

What changes there will be are going to concern debris management and temporary housing, two issues which were not formerly part of the plan in the past, and Mr Ebanks said when the National Housing Committee’s review of the plan is complete in two months, provisions will be made for these two things to be included but he said, “no major overhaul of the plan is expected.”

“The National Hurricane Plan is revised every year by the National Hurricane Committee,” added Mr Ebanks, “and this year James Lee Witt & Associates (JLWA) have been invited to guide the process of revising the plan.”

In relation to JLWA’s input Mr Ebanks said, “JLWA will assist the Committee in revisiting the format in which the document is presented. JLWA will guide us through the completion of the document in a new format.”

Mr Ebanks explained that whatever changes are to be made to the plan will come through the recommendations made by the 14 subcommittees of the National Hurricane Committee (NHC).

“The National Hurricane Plan is composed of a basic mean plan. There are 14 different subcommittees that deal with various sections of the plan.

“With an experience as intense as Ivan some lessons have been learned and we realise that some things need changing,” Mr Ebanks said.

Referring to the National Hurricane Plan – a document that was first compiled in 1987 and which has been revised annually ever since – Mr Ebanks said, “Some sections of the plan have worked, some have not worked quite as expected and some sections have not worked at all.”

In preparing the new plan in time for a completion date of 1 June, the NHC is expected to prioritise lessons learned from Hurricane Ivan, develop an approach and a network of contacts to ensure that disaster conditions are accurately reflected through key international media outlets and develop and design concepts to expand and enhance the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) to more effectively and efficiently manage emergency operations for hurricane response.

Mr Ebanks said that the newly revised plan would not include any input from other territories in the region – countries that have similar levels of susceptibility to hurricanes. 

However, he revealed, “In another few months the Cayman Islands will be a member of the Caribbean Disaster Agency in Barbados. In addition, through the United Nations Development Programme we will be able to receive assistance in relation to medication.”

In February 2005 the new Vice Chancellor of the University of the West Indies, Professor Nigel E. Harris, presented his address entitled “Mobilizing a regional University to support sustained growth and development of the Caribbean.”

Professor Harris’ presentation, one that has been commended by Cayman Islands’ Education Minister, the Hon Roy Bodden as “enlightened, interesting and inspiring,” spoke to the partnering of Caribbean governments to propel sustainable development for the region and pointed to the common thread of “fragile eco-systems that are vulnerable to the demands of urbanization and tourism (and to) destruction by the natural forces of hurricanes, volcanoes, earthquakes and floods.”

Against this background, the Professor revealed the formation of the Vice Chancellor’s Hurricane Relief Task Force. “I intend that this effort serves as a new model for partnering with Caribbean governments and agencies such as the Caribbean Disaster and Emergency Relief Agency (CDERA.)”

Professor Harris also revealed that more than 100 of the university’s faculty members, with expertise in more than 30 areas relevant to reconstruction, rehabilitation and vulnerability reduction are potential participants in this taskforce.

“Some of these individuals are currently assisting Grenadian ministries in projects as diverse as counselling and agriculture. I expect that the task force will ultimately provide the basis for a regional Centre of Excellence in Disaster Management.”

Back...