Start to Prepare for the Hurricane Season. Be Prepared!
GREAT BAY, Sint Maarten (DCOMM) – The hurricane season officially starts on June 1st and ends on November 30th.
The Office of Disaster Management (ODM) which falls under the Fire Department (Ministry of General Affairs) headed by Fire Chief/Disaster Coordinator Clive Richardson, is appealing to all residents and businesses to start to prepare for the hurricane season. Do not wait until June 1st or for the last minute to make such preparations.
You have the time now to prepare in a timely manner for hurricane season. Remember, it only takes one hurricane to make it a bad season.
The latest forecast from the Colorado State University (CSU) Department of Atmospheric Science anticipates a somewhat below-normal activity with 13-named storms of which six (6) could become hurricanes and of those two (2) could become major hurricanes with wind speeds of 111+ miles per hour.
The 2026 storm names are: Arthur, Bertha, Cristobal, Dolly Edouard, Fay, Gonzalo, Hanna, Isaias, Josephine, Kyle, Leah, Marco, Nana, Omar, Paulette, Rene, Sally, Teddy, Vicky, and Wilfred.
The community is urged to learn more about hurricane hazards and how to prepare for a storm/hurricane strike by visiting the Government website: www.sintmaartengov.org/hurricane where you will be able to download your “Hurricane Season Readiness Guide’ and “Hurricane Tracking Chart.”
Listen to the Government Radio station – SXMGOV 107.9FM - for official information and news before, during and after a hurricane. You can also follow weather related news and information as well as national addresses by the Prime Minister, chairperson of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) by going to @SXMGOV Facebook Page.
For official weather-related information, check out the website of the Meteorological Department of St. Maarten (MDS): www.meteosxm.com or visit their social media page Facebook.com/sxmweather/
