The 2021 hurricane season has started: get ready!

As every year from June 1, Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy enter the hurricane season and are subject to hurricane risks. The public authorities wish to once again recall the need for everyone's commitment to preparing the island, in order to guarantee our security.

Individual and collective preparation

Ahead of the hurricane season, everyone must be aware of the mandatory safety instructions:
- cleaning their living space, (pruning and decluttering their land, removing their waste),
- reviewing their home,
- awareness of vigilance levels
- emergency kit, water and food reserves,
- choice of a secure place of retreat.
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A summary flyer of these safety instructions has been published by the Community and can be downloaded from its website (www.com-saint-martin.fr).

Also, a flyer, in the form of a “check list”, has been published to facilitate your preparation and the constitution of your emergency kit. It can be consulted on the websites of the Prefecture and the Community (www.saint-barth-saint-martin.pref.gouv.fr and www.com-saint-martin.fr).

The media whose role in disseminating information is major are invited to relay them.

Alerting the public

Crucial point in the management of a crisis, the The alert is carried out via several channels, tested several times:
- By an SMS alert emanating from the Prefecture to the communities, all institutions and stakeholders in the territory, by an SMS alert emanating from the Community, in its role of relaying the alert, to people who would like to subscribe to it.
- Physical alert: the territory has been divided into sectors, with those responsible for the alert in these areas via patrols of vehicles: Gendarme, Border Police, Territorial Police as well as the use of megaphones and pre-recorded alert messages in French, English, Spanish and Haitian Creole
- On social networks via the Facebook pages of the Prefecture or of the Community, via the Prefecture's Twitter account or via the My Saint-Martin application developed by the Community.
- By local media via sending press releases. The media are an essential relay of information for the population as part of the descending alert.

Conducts to follow and shelter
Instructions on what to do at different levels of cyclone vigilance can also be consulted on the websites of the Prefecture and the Community.

As a reminder, 7 shelters with a capacity of 1,500 places are distributed equitably throughout the territory.
The list of these shelters as well as the instructions for their occupancy can be consulted on the website of the Community and the My Saint-Martin application.

The Prefecture and the Community jointly wish to remind the population to find out about the shelter closest to their home and to respect this choice of proximity to limit the risks of undercapacity of certain shelters in the event of a crisis.

Census of vulnerable people

We are required to establish a register of names of elderly and isolated people and people with reduced mobility or disabilities, the exclusive purpose of which is to enable targeted intervention for these people in the event of a cyclonic phenomenon. .

A press release calling for a census of these people can be consulted on the website of the Community.

Cleaning of the island 

The Community de Saint-Martin appeals to your professionalism and asks you to take all necessary measures to evacuate green and bulky waste, all waste that could be dangerous in the event of strong winds to the eco-site of Grandes Cayes and to secure all your construction sites (crane, containers, various equipment) in anticipation of a cyclonic phenomenon.

Civility and a sense of responsibility are called upon for all persons concerned by the implementation of these security measures. A press release for the attention of professionals can be consulted on the website of the Community.

No illegal dumping can be tolerated upon announcement of the notice of passage of ;a cyclone.

The Community also reminds that it is possible to have an end-of-life vehicle removed from private property, free of charge, by first contacting the environment department located on the premises of the old hospital with vehicle registration. The dedicated form to authorize the removal of an end-of-life vehicle can be consulted on the Community's website.

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Press release to the Community attention of ship owners or guards

As soon as an ORANGE vigilance is announced for a meteorological event confirmed by the competent authorities, it will be up to the ship owners or guards, who do not have the possibility of secure ships or other property located in the public maritime domain, to have these ships or other property leave the area.

The announcement of VIOLET vigilance, therefore announcing strict confinement , any movement will be strictly prohibited.

An order was issued to this effect on May 26, 2017, is displayed in particular in marinas, at the Maritime Station, at the Port of Galisbay and can be consulted on the website Community internet.

The Simpson Bay lagoon is not considered a shelter and past phenomena have amply demonstrated this to us.

In all cases in In the event of an alert being triggered, ships must maintain permanent monitoring of VHF channel 16 as well as weather information.

The owners