Holiday is also nationalpreparedness day

(CNS): The Queen’s Birthday is not only a time for celebrating the receipients of the latest royal gongs but Hazard Management Cayman Islands (HMCI) has named it a day of preparedness for the 2009 hurricane season. On Monday 14 June the National Day of Preparedness residents are urged to update their family plan and restock their first aid kits and supplies of non-perishable food. Deputy Director of Preparedness, Omar Afflick  said if you get ready now you reap the benefits later in the season.

“No battling traffic, no long lines at the stores, less tension and more peace of mind!” he said as he urged people to think seriously about their seasonal preparations. Statistically September is the peak month of the hurricane season, but early and late season storms sometimes form in the western Caribbean.

When this occurs, as was the case with Hurricane Paloma, the lead time for preparation can be quite short. “Don’t get caught out,” cautioned Afflick. “Set aside enough food and water for 5 to 7 days. If you have a generator try to get it serviced and check your shutters, sometimes rust and debris can accumulate in the tracks and this sometimes makes them hard to install.”

Other suggestions include checking on insurance policies to ensure they are current, removing debris from the yard and trimming back trees.

In the lead up to the National Day of Preparedness, members of staff from HCMI have been handing out Hurricane Preparedness Information Kits on the weekends to customers at various local hardware stores. Participating stores include Cox Lumber Company, A.L. Thompson’s, Kirk Home Centre and Uncle Bill’s. Kits are also available at the HMCI Office at Cayman Corporate Centre or on the website www.caymanprepared.ky