The 2025 hurricane season begins under the banner of shared vigilance. On Tuesday, June 4, the prefectures of Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy brought together all institutional, operational, and meteorological stakeholders to present forecasts, existing systems, and future measures. Everyone unanimously emphasized a central message: now is not the time to wait, but to anticipate.
“This time of year reminds us how vulnerable our region is. Being prepared is an act of collective responsibility,” emphasized Louis Mussington. The president of the Collectivité reiterated that the memory of Irma requires us to maintain a high level of standards: “We have undertaken several major projects to strengthen resilience, including road safety and systematic post-crisis clearing.”
Simpson Bay Lagoon, still cluttered with 27 abandoned vessels, is receiving special attention. A new contract will be launched to continue the removal of wrecks, while keeping in mind that the risk management plan does not stop at administrative boundaries.
Plan ahead to react better
At Météo France, Emmanuel Cloppet took stock of a particularly active year in 2024, which relatively spared the French Antilles. "Only one episode affected Saint-Martin: Storm Ernesto, with gusts of 134 km/h." For 2025, the forecast is "in line with the high average of the last 30 years," with 16 named cyclones, including 8 hurricanes, with 4 major ones. Even if vigilance is required, this does not necessarily mean that French territories will be impacted, hence the crucial importance of forecasts and following alerts.
Surveillance capabilities are being strengthened thanks to the St Peters Hill radar, which will be inaugurated in October 2024, and which now allows the trajectory of a phenomenon to be visualized down to the nearest kilometer. “What we're looking for is not just the phenomenon, but its local impacts,” explains the meteorologist.
Crisis mechanisms and risk culture
Héloïse Mercuel, head of the Defense and Civil Protection Service, detailed the crisis organization. The ORSEC system will be activated as soon as the red level is reached, with coordination units ready to act: security, health, communications, and logistics: "A weekly meeting between all stakeholders is planned throughout the hurricane season." Mélodie Illidge-Jenkins, Director of Major Risks, presented the territorial safeguard plan, cyclone shelters and the measures put in place by the Community in the event of an alert.
In addition to the FR-Alert system, emergency communication is also being strengthened: new sirens will be added to the existing network. A public awareness campaign will be launched, with educational video clips reminding people of the right actions to take (evacuation bag, emergency kit, securing their home).
Local solidarity and feedback
For Prefect Cyrille Le Vély, coordination between the State and the local authority is essential: “When the risk materializes, everything happens very quickly. We must be ready beforehand.” He announced that he intends to reach out to residents in the neighborhoods: “Nothing can replace the expertise of the population, of those who experienced Irma or Luis.”
Post-hurricane management is also a key concern. Gendarmerie Commander Hugues Loyez presented the anti-looting plan, based on lessons learned from Irma: “Ten strategic points will be constantly monitored, and each point will be assigned to gendarmes who live nearby in case the road is blocked, so they can reach it on foot.”
This mobilization was supported by the institutions present, the neighborhood councils, as well as local representatives of the EDEIS group, responsible for managing the Grand-Case airport, which also took advantage of the feedback from the Chido phenomenon that hit Reunion Island last December. The entire population is called upon to contribute to this collective effort; everyone's safety depends on it. _Vx
https://faxinfo.fr/en/saison-cyclonique-un-appel-a-la-responsabilite-collective/
