Hurricane recovery key part of weather meeting

(CNS): A speedier recovery in the wake of a hurricane or other natural disasters will be at the centre of two seminars next week forming part of the 33rd Session of the Regional Hurricane Committee (HC33) which is taking place in the Cayman Islands this year. Cayman Islands National Weather Service (CINWS) Director General Fred Sambula said an all-day Disaster Risk Reduction in the 21st Century conference is planned for Monday, 7 March preceding the HC33 and Hurricane Preparedness and Business Continuity will take place Friday, 11 March.

“The Disaster Risk Reduction conference is mainly a technical session targeting hydrological and meteorological experts, as well as some disaster managers from North and Central America and the Caribbean some of whom willbe on-island for HC33,” Sambula said. “The conference will look at building regional, technological capacity and cooperation to support forecasting with a multi-hazard approach or to handle a number of natural disasters at the same time. It will focus mainly on supporting national governments as they plan for disasters associated with climate change and other weather and climate-related issues.”

Sambula explained that the session dealing with hurricane preparedness will seek to engage businesses and governments in the area of hurricane disaster planning, before during and after the hazard with emphasis on measures to reduce the impact on their bottom-line and recover more easily in a hurricane’s aftermath.

“We are looking forward to the participation of the local business community and agency heads, for when businesses and government are both ready, then the nation as a whole is more prepared,” he added.
The HC33 will take place at the Ritz-Carlton between 8 and 11 March.