Food wholesalers and warehouse depots requested to be storm ready


GREAT BAY — Sint Maarten (DCOMM) — Food wholesalers and warehouse depots are requested to have their facilities storm/hurricane ready by having a plan in place to prepare and secure their properties in the event of a storm/hurricane threat, the Office of Disaster Management said on Tuesday.  

Every effort must be made to be prepared to take timely action in clearing the surroundings of storage areas of loose pallets and other materials in the event of a weather-related threat.

Every business has a role to play in being storm ready for the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season.  Tropical Storm Beryl was an exercise for businesses and homeowners to see if they are storm ready for the season, ODM said on Tuesday.

The passing of Beryl allowed business owners and households to review their hurricane preparation plans and to adjust and address any weaknesses in those plans.

The primary objective is the protection of people first and foremost, property and surrounding residential areas second. This ODM message comes less than two weeks before the start – mid-August – of the peak part of the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season.

Materials such as plywood, shipping pallets, food pallets, and pieces of metal used to secure pallet shipments, can easily become flying missiles capable of impaling brick or wooden walls, zink roofs or anything in its way.

It is the responsibility of the business owner to have plans in place to remove any materials and/or have them properly secured on the property where their business is located within a short period of time in the event of a storm/hurricane threat to the country.

When a tropical storm or hurricane watch is issued 48-hours before a system is forecasted to hit the country, businesses should activate their business resilience hurricane preparedness plans which should also include the aforementioned.

Remember, be storm ready!