SO FAR, SO CALM - BUT WE SHOULDN’T DROP OUR GUARD

By Staff Writer

The message of hurricane preparedness from the recent National Week of Readiness (September 17th to 24th) still echoes with powerful relevance as Cayman heads into the home stretch of the 2025 Atlantic Hurricane Season.

“It’s not too late to get ready and stay ready. So far, we have been spared from major storms this season, and for that we give thanks. But we know how quickly the weather can change, and we must be ready for the test,” Hon. Premier Andre Ebanks had then implored.

His advice continues to resonate and takes on added timeliness with current forecasts pointing to an emerging tropical wave between the west coast of Africa and Cabo Verde Islands, which shows early signs of developing.

Weather forecasters tracking the system suggest that gradual development of the wave is possible over the next few days, with the possibility of it becoming a tropical depression by the middle to latter part of the week.

According to AccuWeather forecasters, if that tropical wave persists, it could slowly start organising east of the Caribbean Islands and approach the islands later as a potential named storm while moving across the central tropical Atlantic and approaching portions of the Leeward Islands.

While the 2025 Hurricane Season so far has been less eventful compared to the recent past, the potential for development of this new system is an opportune time to remind ourselves of the four core points in your personal, household and business preparedness plan. Those are: making a family plan, packing an emergency kit, knowing the national emergency colours and downloading the NENS app. NENS is the National Emergency Notification System which broadcasts vital safety messages during major incidents, reaching individuals through radio interruptions and SMS alerts.

As Hazard Management Cayman Islands(HMCI) reminds, preparedness protects your loved ones and strengthens the Cayman Islands.

As we at Caymanian Times highlighted in May, ahead of the June start of the hurricane season, echoing the sage advice of John Tibbets, doctor of the Cayman Islands National Weather Service(CINWS): “It only takes one.”

The hurricane season runs until November 30th.

Forecasters at Colorado State University(CSU) are still expecting the 2025 season to be ‘above average’ with 16 named storms, eight of which will be hurricanes, three of which are likely to be major.

To date this year, there have been nine named storms, the most recent being Tropical Storm Imelda. CSU experts warn that after this quiet spell, storm activity could quickly increase between now and the end of November.