British Virgin Islands

SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Barbados and St. Lucia, Dominica, Martinique, Guadeloupe

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for St. Vincent and the Grenadines

TROPICAL STORM KIRK

Location: 13.2 North 62.5 West

About 110 miles… West South West of St.Lucia

About 385 miles South East of the British Virgin Islands

Maximum sustained winds…50 mph

Present movement…West at 12 mph

Minimum central pressure…1005 mb

The National Hurricane Centre continues to issue advisories on Tropical Storm Kirk.

September 27 2018

SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Barbados and St. Lucia, Dominica, Martinique, Guadeloupe

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for St. Vincent and the Grenadines

TROPICAL STORM KIRK

Location: 13.5 North 58.3 West

About 200 miles… East South East of Martinique

About 536 miles… East South East of the British Virgin Islands

The Caribbean region is poised to benefit from increased humanitarian assistance following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) and humanitarian service provider, Rescue Global (RG). The signing took place yesterday, September 19, 2018 at the CDEMA Coordinating Unit in St. Michael, Barbados.

Since Hurricane Maria made landfall, Direct Relief has delivered $70 million worth of medicines and supplies. The organization has also supported solar and infrastructure improvements to numerous local health centers.

By Lara Cooper, Tony Morain

It’s been nearly a year since Hurricane Maria wreaked havoc across the Caribbean, where brutal Category 4 winds whipped across the region, causing immense destruction and claiming thousands of lives.

UNDP mobilized US$25 million, restored buildings and boosted preparedness in hurricane-affected Caribbean

New York/Bridgetown, Barbados, 17 September 2018 – The UN Development Programme (UNDP) helped mobilize US$25 million, supported the revision and use of improved building codes and restored over 800 buildings for the most at-need people in Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda, some of the countries hit hardest by two powerful back-to-back hurricanes that devastated several Caribbean islands a year ago, according to a new report released today.

Bridgetown, Barbados September 11, 2018 – The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) and humanitarian mapping charity MapAction yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formalise their new joint working relationship. MapAction will work alongside CDEMA teams and support National Disaster Management Agencies within the Caribbean region as needed.

Residents and visitors of the British Virgin Islands (BVI), by now many of you would have been following the development of the weather systems in the Atlantic. Of these systems it would appear that Tropical Storm Isaac may create some unstable weather conditions in the BVI on Thursday of this week.

On its current path, the centre of Isaac is expected to track over 200 miles south of the BVI which means that the centre is expected to pass over or near the island of Dominica. Our thoughts are with our partners in the region as they prepare.

NWS Summary: At 500 AM AST (0900 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Isaac was located near latitude 14.6 North, longitude 48.1 West.

NWS Summary: At 500 PM AST (2100 UTC), the center of Hurricane Isaac was located near latitude 14.4 North, longitude 45.0 West. Isaac is moving toward the west near 14 mph (22 km/h). A westward motion with a slight increase in forward speed is expected through the end of the week. On the forecast track, Isaac should move across the Lesser Antilles and into the eastern Caribbean Sea on Thursday. Maximum sustained winds are near 75 mph (120 km/h) with higher gusts. Some strengthening is expected over the next day or two.

“Preparation through education is less costly than learning through tragedy.”

– Max Mayfield, former Director of the National Hurricane Center

By Frank Schott, Managing Director of New Program Development

Almost one year ago today, Hurricane Irma smashed into the leeward Caribbean Islands of Barbuda, Saint Martin, Anguilla, and the Virgin Islands. In the days following the hurricane, NetHope and its members and partners responded to restore communications capabilities in support of recovery efforts.

Since Hurricane Irma made landfall, Direct Relief has delivered nearly $40 million in medical aid to 63 partner healthcare facilities located throughout the Caribbean and southeastern U.S.

By Susan Fowler

Hurricane Irma, one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in the Atlantic, ripped through the Caribbean with Category 5 strength.

Sustained winds as high as 185 mph caused catastrophic damage to numerous island nations as the storm continued toward the U.S. mainland.

In September 2017, Primrose Thomas was at her home on Barbuda, when disaster struck: two Category 5 hurricanes, Irma and Maria, swept over the islands of the eastern Caribbean, wreaking chaos and destruction.

 “The first time I came back, I didn’t know where to go. I couldn’t recognize anywhere. I had to ask for directions to my own house.”

Thousands of people in the region found themselves in the same situation as Primrose, and the UN played a major role in helping affected communities get back on their feet.  

by Sebastien Malo | @SebastienMalo | Thomson Reuters Foundation
Tuesday, 31 July 2018 12:00 GMT

Burdened by costly fuel imports and a power grid destroyed by Hurricane Irma, the island territory is aiming to produce more electricity from renewables

ROAD TOWN, July 31 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Nearly a year after Hurricane Irma knocked out power across the British Virgin Islands, electricity boss Leroy Abraham will be among the last residents to have their homes reconnected.

Thursday, July 26 – A new Disaster Emergency Notification App developed exclusively for the British Virgin Islands was launched earlier today June 27.

The app which is called the “BVI DDM Alert” was officially launched by the Department of Disaster Management (DDM) in collaboration with Digicel at the telecommunications company’s Offices with a number of key persons present to commemorate the significance of the event.

The British Virgin Islands sustained widespread damage as a result of hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017. The Adina Donovan Home for the Elderly and the Virgin Gorda Elderly Home—buildings that house the most vulnerable seniors and older persons in their communities—were badly damaged by the storms. With financial help from the UK Department for International Development (DFID), the Pan American Health Organization undertook restoration works which have now been completed.

Introduction

This document provides a case study of the efforts to build back better and smarter at the Adina Donovan Elderly Home in Tortola, British Virgin Islands.

SYNOPSIS OF TROPICAL STORM BERYL

According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami, Florida, as of 2:00 PM (AST) on July 08, 2018, Beryl continues to move WNW towards the Lesser Antilles with no change in strength. Beryl or its remnants is forecast to approach the Lesser Antilles this evening, Sunday July 08, and cross the island chain tonight.

MESSAGE: Hurricane Beryl forms over the far Eastern Atlantic and progresses west towards the Caribbean.

THE SITUATION:

The government has today (Wednesday 4 July) announced new measures to make sure British Overseas Territories in the Caribbean have the support they need in the event of a repeat of the devastating hurricanes which hit the region last year.

Government departments have been putting plans in place to bring together humanitarian, military support and diplomatic work under a joint unit coordinated by the Foreign Office.

These include: