Hurricane Season: June to November

Bernard Wagner

The 2019 Atlantic hurricane season begins on Saturday and will run through to November thirtieth.  The forecast for this year suggests that tropical cyclone activity will be near normal in the Atlantic Basin which comprises the North Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico.  It is predicted that there will be anywhere between twelve to fourteen named storms, of which five to seven are expected to become hurricanes and two are expected to become major hurricanes of category two or stronger.

Reporter

“How about the shelters and the preparedness and the facilities should Belizeans have to leave their homes because of a storm?”

Bernard Wagner, Belize City Mayor

“In our planning we also looked at those shelters, ensuring that they were up to par, seventeen shelters have been identified in different constituencies.  Those are ready in the event that we do need to have people housed in those shelters.”

Reporter

“So where will the EOC be stationed should there be a storm that hits?”

Bernard Wagner

“Okay, the EOC for CEMO is at the new City Hall.  We would be in that facility in the event of up to a hurricane category two.  If it is anything over a two then we would move to the Civic Center.”

Belizeans are advised to be prepared, stay safe and heed to all advice and warnings coming from the National Meteorological Service and the National Emergency Management Organization during the 2019 Hurricane Season.