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- - - 2002 Hurricane Season - - -

- Fw: SabaGIS - Thunderstorm Causes Mayhem
  • From: "Roddy Heyliger - MEDPRO - PR & Communications" <heylrody AT sintmaarten.net>
  • Date: Sat, 12 Oct 2002 10:49:24 -0400
 

News Release
 
Prepared by Roddy Heyliger, Communications Consultant for the Saba Government Information Service (SGIS), Island Territory Government of Saba, Dutch West Indies
 
For Immediate Release: Friday, October 11, 2002
 
Thunderstorm Causes Mayhem
 
THE BOTTOM, Saba (SGIS) – Personnel from the Public Works Department (DOW) and private contractors were busy on Friday cleaning-up stones and sand that washed down from the hills on the public road throughout different parts of the island.
 
Residents went about doing their errands while businesses were open for business on Friday after several residents and business owners were busy cleaning up on Thursday afternoon.
 
Head of DOW Hendrick Hassell told the Saba Government Information Service (SGIS) on Friday that by Monday or Tuesday all roads would have been cleaned up as his crews as they would be working through the weekend to make sure that this was the case.
 
He added that the road leading to the Landfill, about three-quarters of the road was washed away while the road leading to the Fort Bay harbor had pockets of stones and sand debris at different sections.
 
Hassell added that those were the two priority areas at the moment that his personnel and private contractors were busy with.  Lt. Governor and Chairman of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Antoine Solagnier, described the rain to SGIS as an “extreme downpour.”
 
Solagnier added that the road to the Landfill was a major concern for the Island Government and that a structural solution is being looked at in order to make sure that the road does not wash away again under these types of weather conditions.  The Executive Council in a meeting on Thursday afternoon approved the plans for the repair of the road.
 
Solagnier and Commissioner Lisa Hassell along with Police Major W. Victoria took a tour of part of the island on Thursday afternoon to make an assessment.  Commissioner Hassell who is responsible for Public Health told SGIS that she had spent a good bit of time at the A.M. Edwards Medical Center in The Bottom where three rooms were affected by the heavy rainfall.
 
The thunderstorm of Thursday caused mayhem.  Within 90 minutes, parts of the island were drenched in 3.75 inches of rain.  There were telecommunication as well as power outages.  Technicians flew in on Friday to work on restoring telecommunications on top the 2,877-foot Mount Scenery.
 
Fire Chief Arthur Hassell told SGIS that on Friday morning he was still out of electricity since Thursday, adding that a number of electricity transformers were struck by lightning. 
 
Hassell also stated that he had heard several reports of hale from persons residing in the village of Hell’s Gate.  The generator at the Airport Terminal was also damaged from a lightning strike.
 
Flooding reports also came in about the Barclays Bank and the Yellow Store in the village of Windwardside.  Lt. Governor Solagnier stated that the area where the flooding took place needs urgent attention and that the government will look into possible solutions.
 
Several homes were also flooded while many appliances such as TVs, Telephones, and Video Players were seriously damaged or destroyed due to the lightning.
 
###
 
Roddy Heyliger
Communications Consultant
Saba Government Information Service (SGIS) 
 
 
 
 
 
    
 
 
 
Roddy Heyliger
Communications Consultant
 
MEDPRO - Designed to broaden public knowledge by informing.
"The Value of Knowing First."
AT Government Communications
AT Corporate Communications
 
Email: heylrody AT sintmaarten.net
Cell 599-(0)5564217
Fax 599-544-3319
 
P.O.Box 414, Philipsburg
St. Maarten D.W.I.

- Fw: SabaGIS - Emergency Disaster Management Officials Meet
  • From: "Roddy Heyliger - MEDPRO - PR & Communications" <heylrody AT sintmaarten.net>
  • Date: Tue, 25 Jun 2002 10:54:10 -0400
 
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, June 23, 2002 7:15 PM
Subject: SabaGIS - Emergency Disaster Management Officials Meet

News Release
 
Prepared by Roddy Heyliger, Communications Consultant for the Saba Government Information Service (SGIS), Island Territory Government of Saba, Dutch West Indies
 
For Immediate Release: Sunday, June 23 2002
 
Emergency Disaster Management Officials Meet
 
THE BOTTOM, Saba (SGIS) – Lt. Governor/Head of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Antoine Solagnier, chaired a meeting of emergency disaster management officials last week.
 
Saba Fire Chief and Disaster Coordinator Arthur Hassell, told the Saba Government Information Service (SGIS) that emergency officials reviewed and took stock of the present state of affairs as well as what still needs to be done in preparation for the 2002 hurricane season.
 
Hassell added that the Hurricane Village Committees will have to do an inventory in relation to the state of preparedness of each village and present this information to the main Hurricane Action Committee.
 
The officials discussed an island-wide clean-up that will be done by the Department of Public Works and the status of the hurricane emergency shelters.  Each shelter will have its own generator.
 
Representatives from the island’s Emergency Support Functions (ESF) such as ESF 1 Utilities (Gebe/Water), ESF 2 Telecommunications (Satel), ESF 3 Public Works, ESF 4 Fire Department, ESF 5 Police, ESF 6/7 Medical Services, ESF 8 Public Information, and ESF 9 Governor’s Cabinet attended the meeting.
 
###
 
Roddy Heyliger
Communications Consultant
Saba Government Information Service (SGIS) 
 
 
 
 
 
    
 
 
 
Roddy Heyliger
Communications Consultant
 
MEDPRO - Designed to broaden public knowledge by informing.
"The Value of Knowing First."
AT Government Communications
AT Corporate Communications
 
Email: heylrody AT sintmaarten.net
Cell 5564217
Tel. 599-544-3064 Fax 544-3319
 
P.O.Box 414, Philipsburg
St. Maarten D.W.I.

- Fw: SabaGIS - Governor Calls on Residents to be on Their Guard for Hurricane Season 2002
  • From: "Roddy Heyliger - MEDPRO - PR & Communications" <heylrody AT sintmaarten.net>
  • Date: Sat, 1 Jun 2002 12:28:18 -0400
 
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Friday, May 31, 2002 6:43 PM
Subject: SabaGIS - Governor Calls on Residents to be on Their Guard for Hurricane Season 2002

News Release
 
Prepared by Roddy Heyliger, Communications Consultant for the Saba Government Information Service (SGIS), Island Territory Government of Saba, Dutch West Indies
 
For Immediate Release: Friday, May 31 2002
 
Governor Calls on Residents to be on Their Guard for Hurricane Season 2002
 
THE BOTTOM, Saba (SGIS) – Lt. Governor/Head of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Antoine Solagnier, says that Sabans have to be on their guard as the next hurricane season roles in as of June 1.
 
Solagnier told the Saba Government Information Service (SGIS) that residents have to make preparations as usual.  “The Island Government will also be securing government buildings and taking whatever other steps needs to be taken.
 
“During the month of June we will be meeting with the Hurricane Village Committees to take an inventory of the requirements for each village.  We also plan to have a church service,” Solagnier disclosed to SGIS.
 
On June 6 and 7, the island’s disaster management system will be meeting to discuss the concept disaster plan as well as conduct a desktop disaster management exercise.
 
A representative from the Netherlands Antilles Disaster Management Organization STIRANA based on Curacao Jos Prot and Paul Martens from the St. Maarten Office of Disaster Management, will be taking part in the two-day work sessions.
 
Saba Fire Chief and Disaster Coordinator Arthur Hassell, told SGIS that representatives from the island’s Emergency Support Functions (ESF) such as ESF 1 Utilities (Gebe/Water), ESF 2 Telecommunications (Satel), ESF 3 Public Works, ESF 4 Fire Department, ESF 5 Police, ESF 6/7 Medical Services, ESF 8 Public Information, and ESF 9 Governor’s Cabinet, will be taking part in the two-day meeting and table-top exercise.
 
Hassell added that a group of Marines will also be on the island in the week of June 10 to hold hurricane preparedness exercises in preparation for the 2002 hurricane season.
###
 
Roddy Heyliger
Communications Consultant
Saba Government Information Service (SGIS) 
 
 
 
 
 
    
 
 
 
 
Roddy Heyliger
Communications Consultant
 
MEDPRO - Designed to broaden public knowledge by informing.
"The Value of Knowing First."
AT Government Communications
AT Corporate Communications
 
Email: heylrody AT sintmaarten.net
Cell 5564217
Tel. 599-544-3064 Fax 544-3319
 
P.O.Box 414, Philipsburg
St. Maarten D.W.I.

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