Nicholls urges Barbadians to ready themselves for hurricane season

Minister of Home Affairs and Information Gregory Nicholls has urged Barbadians to begin preparing for the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, warning that personal responsibility was just as important as government’s preparedness efforts.

Speaking at the Department of Emergency Management’s (DEM) annual hurricane season church service at St James Parish Church on Sunday, Nicholls repeatedly stressed the importance of acting early.

“I urge every one of you gathered here today not to become complacent. Don’t wait until the last minute to start preparing,” he said.

The church service was held under the theme Operation Act Before Impact and marked the start of the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30.

The audience at the St James Parish Church. (Photo Credit: Lauryn Escamilla/Barbados TODAY)

Addressing the government’s preparations, Nicholls said authorities have been working for months to strengthen the island’s emergency response systems.

He revealed that emergency protocols had been reviewed, shelters assessed and coordination strengthened among response agencies.

“From as early as March this year, the government has held meetings with various stakeholders that make up the national emergency management system to examine their level of preparedness and how they can be boosted when necessary.

“We are ensuring that clear, timely and accurate information reaches the public because informed citizens are empowered citizens,” Nicholls said.

While highlighting national preparations, the minister made it clear that resilience begins at home.

He encouraged residents to secure their properties, clear drains and gather essential supplies before any threat develops.

“No amount of government preparation can replace individual responsibility. National resilience begins with personal preparedness.

“Preparedness is a journey. Operation Act Before Impact is a national call to action to take the necessary action to mitigate the impacts of hazards,” Nicholls said.

The minister also warned that Barbados faces more than just hurricane threats, pointing to recent seismic activity, sargassum influxes and Saharan dust events.

“We know as a small developing state that the Atlantic hurricane season is not just a date on the calendar. It is a period that demands vigilance, discipline and collective responsibility,” he said.

He further appealed to Barbadians to support vulnerable members of their communities.

“We are our brother’s keepers. We need to ensure that we care for our children, our elderly citizens and those living alone,” Nicholls said.

The minister said the severe weather event experienced last November demonstrated the importance of preparedness, noting that “we do not have to experience a hurricane to be severely impacted.”

The service also heard a message from Rector of St James Parish Church, Reverend Canon Beverley Sealy-Knight, who linked hurricane preparedness to faith and community responsibility.

“Today is Trinity Sunday and tomorrow, June 1, the hurricane season begins,” she said.

Drawing comparisons between emergency planning and Christian stewardship, Sealy-Knight told worshippers that readiness should not be viewed as fear.

“Preparation then is not fear, it is wisdom,” she said.

She praised the work of the DEM and other response agencies, noting that while they cannot prevent disasters, they help communities respond effectively.

“They help us prepare wisely. They coordinate responses, they encourage readiness before panic arrives. And there’s something deeply spiritual in preparation,” she pointed out.

The reverend also stressed the importance of community support before and after disasters.

She said storms often expose social and economic vulnerabilities and called on churches to play a greater role in supporting those in need.

“No island survives alone, no family survives alone, no church survives alone and no nation survives alone.

“The church must be the place where no one faces the storm alone. The church was not only meant to preach salvation for heaven. The church must embody shelter on earth,” she said.

During the service, DEM Director Kerry Hinds presented an emergency preparedness kit and tarpaulin to St James Parish Church. Students and staff of St James Primary School, which has been adopted by the church, were also among those attending the event.

(from left to right) St James Parish Church warden Tony Millar and Reverend Canon Beverley Sealy-Knight receiving donated items from Programme Officer at DEM Simon Alleyne and Director of DEM Kerry Hinds. (Photo Credit: Lauryn Escamilla/Barbados TODAY)

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المصدر: Barbados Today