Before even the first named storm gets anywhere close to Haiti, some severe rain caused flooding, killing at least one person and destroying a key bridge. The head of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), Elizabeth Riley, says preparations for speedy response have been in the works, however, “We are seeing scenarios where even though we get the different aspects of the early warning aspects right, we have an understanding of the risks that are posed, we have information on forecasts… sometimes even those with the means are not responding (evacuating) the way they should.”
This year, Colorado State and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are predicting “near normal” or average hurricane activity for the region. NOAA is predicting 12 to 17 named storms, with five to nine reaching hurricane strength. Colorado State predicts 15 named storms and seven hurricanes, with three becoming major hurricanes.
Sadly, even the United Nations is hampered in efforts to pre-position supplies because of gang violence and a lack of financial resources.
The addition of the SpaceX Starlink satellite services should greatly improve communications in the event of a severe storm or earthquake. Another addition this year is a state-of-the-art vessel which will be located within the Caribbean for rapid deployment. This ship is a project of the humanitarian organization Global Support and Development.
A report on these efforts by the organization Global Americans is titled “High-Level Working Group on Climate Change in the Caribbean” and is available at the link below.
Source:
https://amp.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article275983246.html
