Premier focuses on Cayman’s hurricane readiness at US conference

With the kickoff of the 2024 hurricane season two months away, Premier Juliana O’Connor-Connolly says she has prioritised the islands’ emergency readiness, increasing hurricane shelter space and improving support to vulnerable communities during disasters.

O’Connor-Connolly, who has been attending the National Hurricane Conference being held in Orlando, Florida, said in a press release that the repairing of the weather radar prior to the start of the 2024 hurricane season is also a priority.

The radar, which has been out of service since October, has been beset with ongoing issues which have been attributed to ageing equipment.

The premier, speaking on her attendance at the conference – a major annual event for education and professional development in hurricane and disaster preparedness – said it was important to build relationships and join such forums “in order to learn what is new, not only in hurricane preparation but across the spectrum of disaster preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery”.

She added, “It has been useful for me and the team to participate in these highly informative workshops and presentations. This year marks 20 years since the passage of Hurricane Ivan. Hurricanes represent perhaps the most significant and impactful events that affect the Cayman Islands. Effective management requires inter-agency collaboration at all levels of government to protect lives, property and the environment effectively.”

Just this month, the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility launched a new regional campaign to build more resilient communities based on experiences in the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan that left a path of destruction here and in the Caribbean.

Some of the topics addressed during the four-day conference, the release said, included lessons learned from previous hurricanes, state-of-the-art programmes worthy of emulation, and advancements in forecasting and weather prediction.

The forum aims to improve hurricane preparedness, responses, hazard management, mitigation and recovery for the US, and Caribbean and Pacific islands.

O’Connor-Connolly was accompanied by Hazard Management Cayman Islands Director Danielle Coleman and National Weather Service Director General John Tibbetts at the conference, which ended Thursday.

Cabinet Secretary Samuel Rose, who is now the chief officer for both Hazard Management and the National Weather Service, was also part of the Cayman Islands contingent.

Coleman, in the release, stressed the importance of Cayman being part of such a forum.

“With hundreds of people in attendance at the conference, it will certainly provide us with excellent information on hurricane preparedness, response and recovery, and a great opportunity to interact with a wide range of industry professionals and key decision-makers as we prepare for the upcoming season,” she said.

Tibbetts agreed, saying the forum “has been great”, adding, “I have been maximising on the opportunity to meet with a number of weather experts at the National Hurricane Center to discuss predictions for this year which will be announced here and learn more about the Center’s experimental tropical cyclone forecast cone graphic, and other new products that will benefit the Cayman Islands, just in time for the busiest months of the Atlantic hurricane season.”