Prime Minister, Dr Ralph Gonsalves has urged residents of St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) to be prepared as the 2022 Atlantic Hurricane season began on June 1.

Delivering a message to the population on Wednesday, to mark the official start of the season, Gonsalves said given the volume of ash from the volcanic eruptions that is still in the mountains, once the heavy rains start, “it represents a danger”, and, “you in the path of the lahars, you have to be very conscious of that”.

And he has urged Vincentians to stay informed by getting accurate information from credible sources and appealed to the population to download the Common Alert Protocol APP which links to the National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO) as the information gathered there is current and accurate.

He noted that, “we live in a region where you have to be prepared for all kinds of hazards”, therefore it is important for Vincentians to secure themselves, have an emergency plan, ensure they have emergency supplies and look out for others.

Gonsalves also appealed to persons who know that they might have to go to a shelter to ensure that they know where the shelters are located and to take with them necessary supplies, especially medicine and personal items.

He reiterated that it is important for NEMO to know where there is damage so downloading the MyHaz App can be a convenient way to share reports on any damage done to property or infrastructure.