On the evening of Monday, July 16th, Ms. Susan Hodge, the Program Officer in the Department of Disaster Management, met with a group of parishioners in the Bethel Methodist Church Hall to create further awareness about disasters and their implications, with particular emphasis on hurricanes.
This meeting was part of the ongoing exercise that the Ministry of Social Development implemented back in February referred to as the Community Information Desk.
In making her presentation on disasters, and in keeping with the jovial setting, Ms. Hodge first gave a brief and casual outline of the history of the Department of Disaster Management: “The department was set up in October 2005. Prior to that, Disaster Preparedness was basically administered by one individual, namely Mr. Wycliffe Richardson, here present in the audience. Prior to his tenure, however, Mr. Sinclair Buchanan, also here present, filled the role of Disaster Preparedness Coordinator.”
She continued: “Today, Disaster Management is a Department consisting of seven positions and six officers, including a Director. Our responsibility is to make sure that everyone in Anguilla is aware of the hazards they face and try to help them get prepared for such hazards.
“In 2015, we undertook the Emergency Management Accreditation Program. We sought out to find where Anguilla, as a country, stood in its readiness to face emergencies. Out of that research, we came up with something called a national HIRA (Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment).”
Ms Hodge cataloged a specific list of potential tragedies to which Anguilla would be prone. The list included 15 types of hazards, rated according to their propensity to cause disruption and/or casualties. Of course, the first such hazard is a hurricane. She noted, “For six months out of every year, there is a likelihood that Anguilla can be hit by a hurricane.”
Drought is listed as the second hazard, followed by a tsunami. The fourth hazard is marine incidences, and number five on the list is an earthquake. This was followed by hazard number six, which is a flood, and number seven which is a health epidemic. At the bottom of the list is civil disorder and violence.
Predominant in the discussions for the evening, however, was the subject of hurricanes and the experiences faced with Hurricane Irma. As Ms. Hodge shared extensive information concerning her office’s activities and roles prior to, during, and after the hurricane, her deliberations stirred several questions and comments from the audience.
One prime comment was an expression of disappointment with the manner in which the distribution of relief supplies was managed by the National Disaster Management Committee. Ms. Hodge sought to clarify these concerns, and suggestions from the audience were taken for the improvement of potential relief distribution in the future.
Ms. Hodge hinted that her department has designed and developed a children’s coloring book that shows how individuals and families can mitigate against the threat of hurricanes. She further stated that the department is currently working with the Anguilla Public Library’s Summer program to develop disaster preparedness jingles that children can recite to sensitize their parents on the importance of preparing for hurricanes when one is imminent.
Generally, she resounded the critical importance of being prepared for a disaster like a hurricane. She said that there are many people who downplay warnings with the notion that a pending hurricane would not really affect us, even though its trajectory is obviously targeting our direction. She noted, as was obvious from Hurricane Irma, that hurricanes are serious occurrences and they must be respected as such.
