Is Dominica ready for the next big storm?

As the 2016 hurricane season unfolds, many persons cannot help feeling uneasy.

With the devastating effects of last year's Tropical Storm Erika still painfully evident, several troubling question swirl in their minds.

How prepared is Dominica for the next big storm? Have we heeded the lessons from Erika? Have we improved our disaster preparedness and crisis management capacity?

So, what is being done differently this hurricane season to beef up our safety — by Government, by agencies that plan for and respond to disasters, by communities, by individuals?

Personal, family, and home preparedness is essential. When Tropical Storm Erika hit at the height of the last hurricane season many homes did not have even the most basic supplies.

It stands to reason that Erika's wake-up call has caused the relevant authorities to develop new policies and procedures to event of a disaster.

What is being done right now by those tasked with preparing the nation for disasters to help educate the people and promote personal readiness?

These special features by The Sun explores these questions and issues to guide readers' impressions of how Dominica is likely to fare during the current hurricane season.

Those who don't remember the past are doomed to repeat it; therefore, the supplement also looks back at 1979's Hurricane David, the most destructive storm in the past 50 years.

According to Historian Lennox Honychurch, in addition to David, the worst recorded hurricanes hit Dominica in 1781, 1806, 1813, 1825, 1834 and 1930 as well.

Climate change cannot be ignored; big, damaging storms will only get worse in the future. This supplement seeks to give an accurate portrayal of Dominica's response to this extreme threat.

Last year, many critical facilities were only minimally prepared for disasters. What is the situation now? People need to be clear about this to evaluate their safety.

We believe these articles will help provide such clarity.