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Contact:
Julita Peter
Tuesday, June 21, 2005 - Physical Planning and Housing Minister
Honourable Ferguson John is appealing to home owners to take all precautionary
measures to safeguard life and property during the hurricane season which
officially began on June 01st.
This year the expectation is for heightened risk of flooding and landslides due
to an active rainy season forecast for Saint Lucia and the Eastern Caribbean for
the period May to July.
The forecast is for wetter than normal conditions a trend which is expected
to continue.
According to Minister John it is important that people constructing homes,
adhere to the strict building process which calls for various safeguards to
ensure buildings meet set criteria for their integrity, that homes are
constructed not just magnificently but according to the island’s building codes.
“I think one of the things we have to be worried about this year particularly
when you expect a lot of rains is guttering. A lot of people just build the
homes and let the water flow from the roofs and they just fall, but this
contributes very much to flooding; it affects the areas generally and there is
need to ensure that water is not out of control and does not fall anywhere or go
anywhere. That is very important and we expect people to pay general attention
to the manner in which they build. I think the safest way to do it is to ensure
you have Planning permission, your plans are approved and take the advice you
are given,” he said
This year scientists have predicted an above-normal season with about thirteen
named storms, seven of which will form hurricanes, and three of which are
expected to be major hurricanes.
Persons are urged to listen to local weather reports and to pay particular
attention to all tropical cyclone bulletins and advisories. The hurricane season
for the North Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico ends on
November 30th.
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