NDMD Director updates on passage of Tropical Depression #13

NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (August 20, 2020) — The following is an update on the passage of Tropical Depression #13 from Mr. Brian Dyer, Director of the Nevis Disaster Management Department (NDMD) on Thursday, August 20, 2020.

At 11 a.m. the National Hurricane Center has indicated that the depression is expected to become a tropical storm later today. The position is 16.0 north 52.0 west or about 750 miles to the east of the northern Leeward Islands. This is about 730 miles to the East South East of St. Kitts and Nevis. The maximum sustain winds are 35 miles per hour or 55 km/h. Present movement West North West at 21 miles per hour. Minimum Central Pressure 1008 MB.

Watches and Warnings:

There is a Tropical Storm Watch in effect for Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Maarten, Antigua, Barbuda, St. Kitts, Nevis and Anguilla.

A Tropical Storm Watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area, generally within 48 hours.

Interests in the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico should monitor the progress of this system as it moves closer to the islands, and is expected to strengthen into a tropical storm.

For us here in St. Kitts/Nevis, we expect some rain showers primarily from the system, as it is expected to pass some distance away from us to the north. However, rainfall is expected from Friday afternoon right through until Sunday afternoon.

The models indicate that the rainfall may be heaviest on Saturday morning and into Sunday. So persons living in low lying areas are asked to take notice of this information, and be in a state of readiness in the event we have flash flooding.

Persistent rainfall will cause saturation of the soil and making it easy for runoff. So persons again, in the low lying areas that are affected by flooding and flood damage, you are asked to take precautionary measures as the system passes to the north of us.

On Nevis specific, the flood prone areas are: Stoney Grove, Lower Bath, Pond Hill, Cotton Ground, Cades Bay, Newcastle. Those areas are problematic with regards to flooding and flood damage on Nevis. So persons are asked to be mindful of this and to take special precautionary measures as the system passes to the north.

Again, we are in the peak of the hurricane season from August 20 on to September 20, that is traditionally the peak of the hurricane season. Again, we want persons to be mindful of the extremely active season that has been forecast or predicted.

We are going into the 11^th named storm, and the forecast calls for up to 25 named storms. So we have not seen 50 percent yet, and we are still in August. So we have enough time to get our house in order with regards to our disaster preparedness: shopping for our supplies, cleaning our surroundings, ensuring that our drains are clean etc. and trimming our trees. Please ensure that your disaster plans are in place, your family communication plan is in place, and you know where your shelters are.

The disaster management has punished a list of shelters and those are available on our website: www.ndmd.kn .

Notices would be published from the Nevis Disaster Management [Department] and from the Met Office which is the competent authority in St. Kitts Nevis with regards to disaster and weather information. So again, pay attention to the national radio station ZIZ and VON Radio, as the Met Office will provide these entities and the Disaster Management with the relevant information. Stay tuned and pay attention as the storm passes to the north of us.

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