Government launches a WeatherWebsite
At a Press conference held on Wedesday,27 September, the Senior Information Service Officer, Ms. PatEbanks introduced the Cayman Islands Government's weather website.
"The site will provide daily updates on the weather yearround, and also serve as an invaluable part of our hurricane communications,"she confirmed.
This web site evolved from the role of the Education and WarningCommittee of the NHC, of which GIS is an integral part. Its developmentbecame a joint site of the National Meteorological Service andGIS, with the Met Service continuing to manage the site alongwith GIS.
"Many persons and departments of government have played integralroles in developing the site", said Ms. Ebanks. "Asidefrom the feeling of accomplishment that completing this site hasbrought us here in GIS, what has struck me most about the Internetduring this project is the way in which it has brought peopleand departments. What I saw during this project is how much itdemands on team effort -- and how important a smooth integrationof all the relevant communication and technology skills are toachieving a great product."
She paid tribute to Mr. Donnie Ebanks, who is the Deputy Chairmanof the NHC, for his guidance in finding the direction for theproject; Mr. Kirkland Nixon, a coordinator for the NHC, and Mr.Roy Grant who represented him at some of our meetings. "Mr.Grant's suggestions were very helpful, and Mr. Nixon's supportwas there the whole way. I would also like to recognise Mr. LoxleyBanks, another of the NHC's coordinators who is here today. Thethird NHC Coordinator, Mr. Errol Bush is unavoidably absent today,"she stated.
Special mention was also made of Mr. Richie Smith, who heads upthe evacuation committee, and the Computer Services Department,which made the site possible.
"Behind this project was Director Gilbert McLaughlin, andespecially Deputy Directors Wesley Howell, who is off island andis represented today by Systems Manager Mark Ebanks, and CeliaYates, who is here with us this morning. A special tribute toWesley who has been working behind the scenes helping to makelittle miracles happen in record time, and to the programmer forthe site, David Elms, and, more recently, Stephen Gale, both ofwhom spent innumerable hours on the project. David is also off-island,attending a conference, but all of us on the project are trulyindebted to his efforts in making this project a reality,"she remarked.
Ms. Ebanks also offered thanks "to the Lands and Survey Departmentfor the provision of maps and street address information whichhave really enhanced the site. And to the National Archive forhistorical pictures and to journalists Carol Winker and SheenaCarten for their contributions to the history of hurricanes....and,of course, the Met Servicea and its staff. Much of this workfell to Chief Meteorological Officer John Tibbetts and SeniorForecaster Avalon Porter."
Paying tribute to her staff, Ms. Ebanks, began "principally,Sheree Harrison, who worked closely and patiently, as usual, onthe myriad design elements. Joan Cambell was on vacation whenmost of this was happening, unfortunately, but we roped her inon her return and she has been assisting with a lot of the finalisationof the site."
Ms. Ebanks also revealed that GIS is currently taking the finalrecruitment steps in employing an Internet Coordinator - the nucleusof a team of marketing specialists servicing Government's needsin this area from within GIS.
Accessing site:
To access the site, go to: http://www.gov.ky
Early next year, it is envisaged that this will take browsersto the home page of the Government Internet, of which Weatherwill be a component.