Message on Hurricane Danny
Acting Governor, Mrs. V. Inez Archibald, CBE
August 20, 2015

Residents of The Virgin Islands, we have been blessed with a very quiet Atlantic hurricane season but as you are aware, we now face potential impact from the first system to affect the Caribbean this year.

The Department of Disaster Management (DDM) has been tracking the progress of the cyclonic system which developed off the coast of Africa over the weekend and latest reports are that it has been upgraded to a hurricane.

Hurricane Danny is still more than one thousand miles south east of the BVI and forecasters are predicting that we could be impacted by Monday or Tuesday. We have been told to expect flooding, mudslides and possible power outages due to high winds. It is therefore important that we begin to take preparatory measures now to ensure that we weather this system as best as possible.

We are still some days away from potential impact and there are a lot of uncertainties with Hurricane Danny, but let us not be complacent, let us not panic, but do let us be aware and prepare. Awareness, preparedness and resiliency go hand in hand. We are building a resilient community so let us put into practice what we’ve been learning as a community and what we are being advised to do.

The Department of Disaster Management has been sharing preparedness tips; I encourage you to pay close attention to these and take the necessary actions to safeguard yourselves, your homes, your places of employment.

We will continue to monitor the progress of the Hurricane Danny and advise you accordingly. However, resiliency is a collaborative effort and we need you to play your part in the process. Be aware and prepare.

Let us demonstrate that the theme for the 2015 hurricane season accurately reflects our thinking and our actions. Be SMART – Preparedness leads to resiliency.