Fiji’s Weather Office issues a reminder to the general public to prepare in earnest as the country enters the 2021/22 Tropical Cyclone season.
Starting today, the new cyclone season runs through April end, during which up to three cyclones are forecasted to pass through Fiji’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Of these, at least one will be of severe tropical cyclone strength.
National Disaster Management Office Director Vasiti Soko said her office along with the divisional commissioners teams have continued preparations as well as issued preparedness reminders to the general public via their social media platforms and phone blasts.
The divisional commissioners and their teams have also inspected more than 600 evacuation centres to gauge their readiness as well as review existing SOPs.
“So in any event, where members of the public needs to move into an evacuation center there are standard operating procedures that have been developed with close consultations with Ministry of Health to ensure that everyone is safe at the evacuation center,” Soko said.
The NDMO office will also have to contend with the possibility of infections arising during a natural disaster.
“With regards to the the current pandemic should there be another outbreak. When the time arrives, we will then discuss that with Ministry of Health, but definitely when it comes to COVID and Pandemic, the Ministry of Health takes lead to and we will take our cue from them.”
The general public is reminded to take the nescessary measures and prepare well to keep themselves, their loved ones and their properties safe.
