The upcoming hurricane season, starting June 1st, is likely to be eventful, as an above-average season is forecasted with 14 named storms (and 8 hurricanes), according to estimates made by Dr. William Gray, the celebrated hurricane forecaster. In the event of a major hurricane, staff training and preparation are critical to keep casualties and damage to a minimum. To face this need, the Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism (CAST), the Caribbean Hotel Association’s (CHA) environmental division, in conjunction with the Antigua Hotel and Tourism Association, are offering a Hurricane Preparedness and Response training course on May 19th in Antigua, at the Heritage Hotel in St John to hospitality and tourism industry employees.

The one-day workshop, conducted by Deirdre Shurland, CAST director, provides information about hurricanes, their form and structure, and covers areas including structural needs, insurance issues, safety of guests, visitors and the general public, and staffing issues. It establishes thorough guidelines on how to prepare for and respond to a hurricane emergency, and offers a highly participative planning simulation exercise.

Antigua follows Turks & Caicos, whose employees already benefitted from the training earlier in May, and rated it very highly in terms of the content, collateral material, relevance to their job situations and the instructor. CAST will offer the workshop throughout the Caribbean during the upcoming hurricane season.
——-