PM Drew participates in successful hurricane preparedness exercise by NEOC

St. Kitts and Nevis: Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew participated in significant discussions with the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC).  This week the NEOC undertook a three day National Hurricane Preparedness and Response Simulation Exercise to prepare the country in the event of a natural disaster.

PM Drew, who is also the Executive Director of the National Emergency Operations Centre, participated in the exercise, given his strong belief that preparedness is critically necessary for mitigating challenges and risks during times of emergencies.

He joined the meetings during the first two days of the exercise as he considers that preparedness is significant in mitigating risks and challenges during times of emergencies.

The Prime Minister also stated further that an exercise of this nature will also help to determine if additional financial resources are required to improve the country’s readiness.

The meetings took place from July 17 to 19 to assess St. Kitts and Nevis’ response systems in the event of a hurricane. These sessions took place following the request of the Prime Minister who is ensuring that the Federation stays prepared for any type of climate changes.

The exercise was centered around the scenario of the possible impact of Hurricanes to the Federation, beginning with a pre-strike meeting at NEMA headquarters. 

The simulation concluded yesterday with Cabinet Ministers and NEOC officials visiting three sites impacted by the storm. 

These areas included the Irish Town Bay Road where flooding resulted in significant sand deposit onto the road, Stone Fort where fallen trees blocked the road ways as well as a residential area in Cayon where land slippage occurred.

These visits helped the officials assess the level of damage and the financial requirements to restore and rehabilitate these facilities. 

The officials from NEOC described the three-day exercise as a huge success as it demonstrated the strength and readiness of the Federation’s response system and the areas where more work is required.