NEMO Urges Preparedness as 2026 Atlantic Hurricane Season Begins
The National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO) is urging Saint Lucians to take proactive steps to prepare for the 2026 Atlantic Hurricane Season, which officially began on June 1. Speaking to Saint Lucia Daily Post, NEMO Director Kenesha Jeffrey said forecasts indicate an active season, with 14 named storms predicted, including seven hurricanes and at least […] The post NEMO Urges Preparedness as 2026 Atlantic Hurricane Season Begins appeared first on Saint Lucia Daily Post.
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The National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO) is urging Saint Lucians to take proactive steps to prepare for the 2026 Atlantic Hurricane Season, which officially began on June 1.
Speaking to Saint Lucia Daily Post, NEMO Director Kenesha Jeffrey said forecasts indicate an active season, with 14 named storms predicted, including seven hurricanes and at least three major hurricanes. However, she emphasized that preparedness remains the agency’s primary focus.
“From NEMO’s perspective, it has always been about preparedness. Our job starts long before the hurricane season,” Jeffrey explained.
She noted that since the beginning of the year, NEMO has been engaged in a series of training programmes, including damage assessment and needs analysis exercises and Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training aimed at strengthening disaster readiness at the community level.
The agency has also launched its annual Ziploc Drive, an outreach initiative that distributes waterproof bags to residents to help protect important documents during emergencies.
“While the bags themselves may seem simple, the message behind it is powerful,” Jeffrey said. “Preparedness is not always about grand gestures or expensive resources. Sometimes preparedness starts with small but important actions.”
The NEMO Director explained that the initiative encourages residents to safeguard items such as identification cards, birth certificates, insurance documents, land records and medical information from potential water damage during storms and other disasters.
In addition to the document protection campaign, NEMO is continuing its public education efforts through community engagement activities across the island.
“NEMO’s perspective is to be out there, not just in our offices,” Jeffrey said. “We want to go into the communities so persons can see us, interact with us and understand how to prepare.”
Jeffrey also praised the response of Saint Lucians during the 2025 hurricane season, describing it as one of the best public responses the agency has experienced.
According to her, NEMO’s introduction of simplified weather bulletins helped residents better understand threats and potential impacts without having to navigate lengthy weather reports.
“What is it? How am I going to be impacted? That’s what people want to know,” she explained.
The bulletins, developed in collaboration with the Saint Lucia Meteorological Services, are distributed across multiple platforms, including Facebook, WhatsApp channels and other social media outlets.
Jeffrey said the approach proved successful and will remain a key part of NEMO’s communication strategy throughout the 2026 season.
The agency is hoping for continued public participation in preparedness activities, noting that more than 300 people attended its first Ziploc Drive community engagement event.
NEMO officials are expected to continue outreach activities islandwide as part of efforts to strengthen community resilience ahead of any potential storm threats during the six-month hurricane season.
The post NEMO Urges Preparedness as 2026 Atlantic Hurricane Season Begins appeared first on Saint Lucia Daily Post.
