Monday, September 10, 2012 8:43 AM - St. George's, Grenada
ST.GEORGE’S, GRENADA, SEPTEMBER 7th 2012_Grenada’s Prime Minister, Hon. Tillman Thomas, has called on his countrymen to be “vigilant and prepared” as Grenadians recall their experiences with Hurricane Ivan eight years ago.
The Prime Minister said “we live in a region that is prone to storms and other natural disasters. We must therefore maintain a level of preparedness that will reduce our losses and help us to recover faster, should a storm system affect our country.”
Prime Minister Thomas noted that the change in climatic conditions due to the warming of the planet presents many challenges for small island developing states, including unpredictable weather conditions, threats to coastal development, particularly hotel and tourism projects, and stronger storm systems, resulting in greater damage and higher repair and replacement costs.
He noted his government decision to strengthen the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) and called for greater public participation in its activities, especially at the village and community levels.
“We must ensure that whatever must be done to help us to mitigate the effects of a natural disaster is done. It is crucial that we mobilize and engage people in the community to help in the recovery process,” he said, adding that recent events have shown the “absolute importance” of preparing the community to provide effective assistance to those in need.
On September 7, 2004, Hurricane Ivan, caused death and widespread destruction to Grenada, with damage estimated at more than US$600 million.
