Given meteorological reports that storms and hurricanes may develop in this month of September, relevant government agencies have intensified calls for preparedness and awareness across the Caribbean. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) called for volunteers to help with emergency situations, and the Office of Disaster Management (ODM) issued rules for emergency shelters.
The Communications Assistant for the IOM, Maxine Alleyne-Esprit, said everyone must come together to strengthen national infrastructure against potential weather hazards. She said the government has done a lot to restore the property and infrastructure destroyed during Tropical Storm Erika and Hurricane Maria, and that all hands must be on deck to prevent a repeat of such devastation by strengthening capacity in the event of a potential disaster.
And given that the DLP administration has set up hurricane shelters across the Island, the ODM advised Dominicans in vulnerable regions to make use of the shelters in the event of a natural disaster. The agency also called for users to comply with the rules and regulations governing the use of such shelters since this will make the shelters safer and respectable for everyone.
The ODM said some of the rules include total cooperation with shelter managers, avoidance of disruptions, adherence to personal hygiene and public sanitation, and prompt isolation in the case of a contagious illness. Shelter users are also urged to not keep pets in the main shelter area, and to not tamper with safety equipment or bring dangerous weapons into the facility. The agency equally warned that alcohol and smoking will not be allowed inside the shelter.
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