Saint Lucia, like other regional states are preparing for the 2024 hurricane season.
According to meteorologists, the season officially commences on June 1 and ends on November 30-with heightened activity forecasted for this year.
To this end, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the United States Air Force hosted several preparatory events.
The Saint Lucia Meteorological Services Director, Andre Joyeux, provided an update on Saint Lucia’s preparedness and the support systems in place to assist with that task.
“The 2024 Caribbean Awareness Hurricane Tour is underway. The NOAA and the US Air Force reserve hosted a series of events to help Caribbean communities prepare for the hurricane season,” said Joyeux.
“A tour of the Air Force Reserve Command WC130J hurricane hunter aircraft showcased how scientists collect data from hurricanes. Personnel from the US National Hurricane Center discussed hurricane preparedness, resilience and how people can become weather-ready ahead of the hurricane season,” he added.
National Hurricane Centre personnel visited Saint Lucia on April 19, and shared data on hurricane systems and resilience. Weather experts say that the El Nino weather phenomenon experienced last year will give way to La Nina, which results in more active storm formations.
The Atlantic hurricane season begins in June.
To help communities prepare, the Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunters and a team of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasters visited four Caribbean locations on April 16-20 as part of the annual Caribbean Hurricane Awareness Tour (CHAT).
The CHAT, a joint effort between NOAA’s National Hurricane Center and the 403rd Wing’s 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, promotes hurricane awareness and preparedness throughout the Caribbean region.
More than 13,000 people attended this year’s event, which stopped at Nassau, Bahamas, Barbados, Saint Lucia and Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. Locals were able to tour the WC-130J aircraft and talk to NHC forecasters, Airmen with the 53rd WRS, and a crew member with NOAA’s Aircraft Operations Center.
“The goal of the Caribbean Hurricane Awareness Tour is to not only showcase the brave men and women who fly directly into these dangerous storms to collect data for us at the NHC, but to promote a culture of preparedness for the 2024 hurricane season,” said Mike Brennan, director of the NHC in Miami. “Now is the time to prepare.”
An “extremely active” hurricane season is likely according to forecasters at Colorado State University. They projected 23 named storms, 11 hurricanes and five major hurricanes.
NOAA will release their season forecast in late May, but according to Brennan, “regardless of what any season forecast projects, it only takes one storm to hit your area to make it a bad hurricane season.”
“This event is a great opportunity for us to educate the public about our mission, how we use the WC-130J to collect data for NHC forecasts, and to stress the importance of heeding forecasts, storm warnings and advisories, and being prepared,” said Lt. Col. Ryan Rickert, 53rd WRS chief aerial reconnaissance weather officer.
Caption: Andre Joyeux