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Contact:
Rose Marie Harris
Tuesday, September 14, 2004 - Saint Lucians have been warned that the
massive destruction caused by the passage of Hurricane Ivan to a number of
Caribbean countries over the past week has many lessons to be learned. During
his weekly “Conversations with the Nation” Prime Minister Honourable Dr. Kenny
Anthony emphasised that the ravage caused in Grenada
and Jamaica is a reminder of what could have happened to Saint Lucia.
Despite the evidence, Dr. Anthony said, some Saint Lucians are still taking
hurricane and storm warnings lightly. The Prime Minister cautioned the nation
never to be lulled into a false sense of security just because the island has
been spared this time. “If like Jamaica or Grenada we had been hit by the
hurricane, our story would have been much different. As was the case after
Hurricane Allen in 1980, instead of counting galvanised
sheets or banana trees, today we would be counting lost lives, destroyed homes
and displaced people. Our emergency shelters would still be full. Our roads
would have been blocked. There would have been no electricity, telephone or cell
phone services. Hospitals would be damaged. Schools would be destroyed. Then –
and only then – would we have seen the true test of our emergency services.”
The official hurricane season runs from June to November and Saint Lucians have
been urged to brace themselves as there are still a number of weather systems
which can affect the island. “We may escape today but we may not tomorrow. It is
Grenada’s and Jamaica’s turn today, but it could be ours tomorrow or the day
after. It’s never over until the season is over. Indeed, do not forget or ignore
the fact that the official hurricane season ends on October 30, 2004 and even
then, the next season begins in less than one year’s time.”
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