Page 7 - HOH

a7
local Friday 31 May 2024

Meteo Aruba and CMO: "This Year Will See a Very Active

Hurricane Season in the Caribbean"

The hurricane season is set today, Friday May 31st,
to begin on June 1 and end the CMO, responsible not
on November 30. For this only for Aruba but also for
reason, yesterday morn- the Dutch Kingdom, needs
ing, during a conference to prepare Sint Maarten,
between Meteo Aruba which is in the hottest hur-
and the Crisis Manage- ricane zone, in case some-
ment Office (CMO), it was thing happens there or in
announced that this year other islands north of Aru-
will see a very active hur- ba, they can accommo-
ricane season according date victims.
to reports from the National Regarding tourism, Geer-
Hurricane Center and Col- man assured that ATA is
orado State University (CSU part of the crisis team and
Tropical Weather & Climate receives all information. He
Research). confirmed that historically
there has not been a di-
Rodney Tromp from Me- rect impact on Aruba, but
teo Aruba indicated that the problem is rain, which
Colorado State published could start in June or July,
a report last month indicat- On the other hand, Tromp warning. "It is good to in- sis, Government, and the saturating the ground and
ing that the hurricane sea- noted that they are work- form the community that as council of ministers, makes causing flooding in August
son is expected to have a ing on a plan and if there is soon as a system reaches the decision to put Aruba with subsequent rains.
higher-than-average num- a threat, they will activate Barbados, the process will on warning and determine Given that different areas
ber of Named Storms, with the plan immediately. He be activated, or 120 hours the steps we will take," will be affected by the
an average of 14.4 storms also mentioned that the before we start the legal Geerman pointed out. rains, Geerman said Aruba
where the season typical- situation in Aruba and Cu- process of asking the prime By August, all current dilem- does not have large pumps
ly sees 23. For hurricanes, raçao is different because minister for permission to mas will be resolved when and they will arrive in Au-
the average for this year Aruba's winds are stronger. put Aruba on alert, prepare the Early Warning System is gust at Marinierskazerne,
is projected to be 7.2, with "Curaçao has its local ef- our departments, and po- installed in Aruba, provid- "but again, Aruba needs to
11 hurricanes expected fects, and Aruba has its tentially inform the public ing information in four lan- start thinking and it's time
for 2024. Additionally, five local effects. There are 48 hours before the system guages, as Geerman indi- for us to start buying our
major hurricanes are an- forecasts for the day and passes over or near Aruba," cated. own pumps."
ticipated, and the days of night, but during the hur- Geerman said. "For those whose roofs are When asked about the dif-
Named Storms for 2024 are ricane season, when there In 2024, they will try to en- leaking, I recommend ference between previous
expected to be 115, which is a threat, all (ABC) islands sure the community does checking them carefully hurricane seasons and this
means "this year will see a must coordinate with the not panic when they see because this year will have one, Geerman confirmed
very active hurricane sea- Netherlands and the Na- a red flag on the internet. a lot of rain. For those living that during a full year, Aru-
son in the Caribbean, the tional Hurricane Center to "Meteo is responsible for in areas known to flood, be ba receives 300 millime-
Atlantic, and the region," issue a warning together." informing CMO, and we aware that this year will be ters of rain. This season, it
Tromp assured. Rino Geerman from CMO are not the same as Cura- more troublesome. During is expected to be double,
Meteo Aruba monitors this explained that it is expect- çao or Miami. Miami gives bad weather starting early "meaning we need to pre-
data daily, with an eight- ed that this year's hurricane recommendations based in the morning, consider if pare for 600 millimeters of
person team responsible season will be more active on their expertise but can- schools will be closed and rain."
for sending alerts "appro- in the Caribbean region, not put Aruba on warning. at what time," Geerman All information from CMO
priately" to the commu- with a higher probability of Neither can Meteo Aruba. commented. or Meteo will be published
nity, ensuring they are in- systems entering the Carib- CMO, together with Cri- He also informed that by in the local Aruba press.q
formed and know what to bean compared to previ-
do together with the CMO ous years, which were kept
to guarantee the island's out of the Caribbean due
safety during this hurricane to the effects of La Niña,
season. predicting an 85% increase
Currently, sea tempera- in hurricane activity.
tures in the region are quite Aruba's biggest problem is
warm, and they are consid- rain, not wind, according
ered to be "at the normal to Geerman. History shows
level," which means there is that out of 10 hurricanes, 8
a lot of energy in the region. are rain-related. "We start-
Tromp also commented ed preparing for hurricanes
that the El Niño phenom- after March 18, and we
enon, a climatic event re- have dealt with the Nether-
lated to the warming of the lands to ensure Aruba is not
Pacific Ocean, will switch left alone at the Kingdom
to the La Niña phenom- level where various instanc-
enon, characterized by es have already met."
cooling the surface waters Regarding how they alert
of the central and eastern Aruba, Meteo Aruba, Me-
Pacific, which is favorable teo Curaçao, and the Hur-
for hurricane formation, ac- ricane Center will have a
cording to Tromp. meeting before issuing a