June 1, 2023 marks the start of the hurricane season in the Caribbean region, which will run until November 30, 2023.
The first forecasts for the 2023 hurricane season have been announced by the National Hurricane Center (USA): 12 to 17 tropical storms could impact the Caribbean region, including 5 to 9 hurricanes which may be developped into 1 to 4 major hurricanes.
The 2023 hurricane season is likely to be slightly below average, due to the resurgence of the El Nino phenomenon which, after 3 years of La Nina, is synonymous with less hurricane activity in the North Atlantic. However, above-normal ocean temperatures could counterbalance the reducing effect of the El Nino phenomenon.
To prepare for future disasters and assist affected populations, a number of Caribbean disaster risk management actors are mobilizing in Guadeloupe to strengthen their cooperation, at the initiative of the French Red Cross’s Platform for Regional Intervention in the Americas and Caribbean (PIRAC) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
A regional workshop to strengthen disaster preparedness and coordination
As part of the INTERREG Caribbean-funded READY 360° project, a workshop will be held in Guadeloupe on June 1, 2023 to strengthen the emergency preparedness and response coordination of the Caribbean Red Cross Movement. The National Red Cross Societies of Saint Lucia, St Kitts and Nevis, Dominica, St Vincent and the Grenadines, as well as representatives of the Red Cross Societies of Grenada and Antigua-Barbuda, are taking part in this face-to-face coordination workshop, co-animated by PIRAC and IFRC.
In addition to strengthening regional cooperation, this workshop is also an opportunity to deepen discussions and settle the final operational details between PIRAC, IFRC and the Caribbean Red Cross Societies, particularly about the regional mutualised warehouses and national warehouses designed to help populations affected by natural disasters.
This workshop on cooperation and regional coordination of the Red Cross Movement will enable PIRAC to pursue its commitment to serving Caribbean Red Cross and vulnerable populations as a key player in emergency response in the Caribbean region.
