June 1, 2009 — Everyone's hoping for a quiet hurricane season, but just in case the worst happens, local emergency-management officials say they're confident the territory is prepared to weather the storm.
After Hurricane Omar touched down last October, the V.I. Territorial Emergency Management Agency (VITEMA) began following up on its "shortfalls," and has reached out to local and federal agencies for help in stockpiling resources and coordinating emergency response efforts, according to VITEMA head Mark Walters.
"We've had meetings on both the cabinet and operational level," Walters said Monday, the opening day of hurricane season. "We've also been coordinating and planning with the federal government. A FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) team has been in here identifying gaps in our communications systems so they know what resources they have to bring in just in case of an emergency. The efforts are ongoing, but I think we're definitely prepared."
The V.I. Water and Power Authority has also been working year round to secure its facilities, reinforce its outside plants and make sure its generating units are running smoothly, according to WAPA spokeswoman Cassandra Dunn. Late last month, WAPA got the go-ahead from the Public Services Commission to borrow $5 million from its Self-Insurance Hazard Mitigation Fund to buy 90,000 barrels of extra fuel to top off its storage tanks.
"We're in the process of getting that fuel purchased from Hovensa and delivered," Dunn said Monday. "We're also at 90 percent of our water storage, so we're in good shape on that end."
This month WAPA officials are also going before the authority's board to discuss the restoration of emergency contracts with off-island crews that can be activated in case something happens with the system during a storm, she Dunn said.
"Of course, like everyone else, we pray that we'll be spared from a hurricane, but if one comes, we're ready," she said.
Starting Tuesday, VITEMA will also install 38 standby power generators that will shore up the power supply at emergency shelters around the territory and back up other critical areas of the islands. (See "FEMA Giving Territory 38 Generators for Emergency Shelters.") FEMA also deployed a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers team to assess emergency facilities around the territory, Walters said.
Emergency-management officials were also briefed by the local port commander on the proper protocols for closing the ports during a storm.
"It's based on wind conditions," Walters said. "Even though landfall may be days away, once we start getting tropical-storm-force winds, that determines when we close the ports. We know that transportation between the islands is essential, and we don't want to close them prematurely, but we have to factor in the safety of the harbor and make sure the vessels can be secured so they are not subject to damage. That takes time, so we just can't close them down a few hours before the storm hits."
Meanwhile, VITEMA and other agencies have been working for months on consolidating their operations. Last week the Senate passed a bill putting the V.I. Office of Homeland Security, the soon-to-be operational 911 call centers and the Office of Management and Budget's Public Assistance Grant program under the coordination of VITEMA, which will be severed from the Adjutant General's Office.
The transition is expected to be a smooth one, causing no interruption in emergency services, Walters said. A strategic-implementation working group made up of various government agencies was convened months ago to identify any major problems that could arise if the Legislature approved the move, he explained. So far, a formal strategic plan is in place, and issues have been addressed such as funding, staffing, the drafting of a new mission statement and a re-organization of management structure.
The move also cuts down on communication gaps by putting more agencies at one table. VITEMA headquarters will also be filled during a storm with other essential emergency-management personnel and officials, Walters said.
While the most recent forecasts have predicted this season will be less active than past years, Walters said he "doesn't put much stock" in the predictions. It only takes one storm to cause enough damage to make it a bad season, he said.
"It was predicted that 1992 would be one of the less-active years, but then Hurricane Andrew hit, and that was one of the most costly storms to hit the U.S.," Walters said. "The forecasts don't take into consideration landfall — no one can really tell how many hurricanes are going to hit the territory. So we have to be prepared for the worst."
While trying to weed out the communications gaps by keeping as many emergency-management personnel as possible under one roof during a hurricane, the government is still pushing ahead with its overhaul of the local emergency 911 system, and plans to be online on St. Croix sometime next month.
But the government can only do so much, and community members are urged to be prepared at home with an emergency supply kit and family emergency plan. Keeping informed about weather systems heading toward the Virgin Islands is also important, Walters said.
"We really encourage everyone to start preparing now," he said. Everything in a family's emergency supply kit — from fresh water to batteries — should be able to last for a minimum of three days or longer, he added.
Updates from the government about storms heading this way, along with evacuation instructions in the event of a major storm, will be sent out to radio, television and other media outlets. For more information, residents can contact VITEMA at 774-2244. The Source will also provide updates once they come in.
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