At the 49th CARICOM Head of Government Meeting, Director of Communication, Karia Christopher interviewed Executive Director of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency, Elizabeth Riley, for a timely conversation on disaster readiness.
With the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season already underway and shaping up to more active than usual. Riley is urging the residence of the Virgin Islands to take preparedness seriously.
The BVI has been a member of CDEMA since the agency’s founding in 1991. Over the years, that partnership has supported training programmes, shelter planning, and resilience-building, particularly in key sectors like tourism.
Riley reflected on the territory’s experience in 2017, when Hurricanes Irma and Maria caused widespread devastation. She noted that CDEMA had already been working with the Department of Disaster Management before the storms even made landfall.
Now, with peak hurricane months approaching, Riley is encouraging residents to take simple but essential steps to prepare.
With preparations underway across the territory, officials say continued collaboration between agencies and residents will be key in navigating the months ahead.