Westmoreland Preparing for Hurricanes

Hurricane preparedness activities have heightened in the parish of Westmoreland, with approximately 30,000 metres of drains along parochial roads cleaned, while emergency shelters are being repaired.
“We will be continuing with our drain cleaning projects especially in the flood-prone areas”, said Disaster Preparedness Coordinator for Westmoreland, Hilma Tate.
Miss Tate, in her report at the monthly meeting of the Westmoreland Parish Council on June 12, said that from assessments carried out recently, the parish was more than 60 per cent prepared for a hurricane.
She indicated that some 37 shelters were inspected recently and they were found to be in a state of readiness in the event of a hurricane.
In addition, 63 persons have been trained to man shelters under the ongoing shelter management training programme, while several schools have been visited and students sensitized on precautionary measures to be taken in the event of hurricanes.
A disaster display was set up during a recent food festival in the parish, as a means of sensitizing the wider public on how to mitigate the effects of disaster events.
Meanwhile, new Superintendent of Roads and Works for Westmoreland, Alston Esmie, has said that despite limited financial and other resources, he will be “going all out” to ensure that residents of the parish are safe especially in disasters such as hurricanes.
He appealed to persons to consult with the Parish Council before they build. “Based on the construction of buildings in Westmoreland, there are quite a number of these structures, which are built from cheaper building fabric. The Parish Council is therefore on the verge of assisting persons to make the proper choices in terms of planning. Many times it can be observed that buildings are positioned or located in disaster zones,” he pointed out.
“These are some of the areas that the Council will be seeking to assist citizens in further ensuring everyone’s safety,” Mr. Esmie said.