Red Cross Prepares for 2021 Hurricane Season

The 2021 Atlantic Hurricane Season begins today and the Belize Red Cross has been busy preparing for the next six months, amid predictions of up to twenty named storms forming in the Atlantic Ocean.  Deadly rains, landslides and floods could further affect communities across the country that are already dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.  Executive Director Lily Bowman, of the Belize Red Cross, has been liaising with the International Red Cross Federation aheadof the start of the hurricane season.

Lily Bowman

Lily Bowman, Exec. Dir., Belize Red Cross

“We have been back and forth in communication ensuring that we have their support as is normal, in the event of an emergency.  They are ensuring that all national societies in the Caribbean have enough pre-positioned stocks to move and mobilize immediately in the event of a disaster.  And coming into Belize, we are just on the heels of our response caused by Hurricane Eta and Iota, so it’s practically preparedness, response and everything in one that we’ve been experiencing.  Even throughout the COVID pandemic our response is still ongoing, so the preparedness state of our national society, in great part depends on finances.  So if you look on finances alone, our usual support from donors and the federation will be needed, however, we do have pre-positioned relief stocks in place in all our branches and in central locations in the country for immediate response in the event of a disaster.”