The HUREX exercise in progress on the French side.
MARIGOT–On Tuesday, June 26, 2018 at 9:00am, a yellow-level hurricane pre-alert was triggered. The Operational Centre for Defence (COD) was activated in the Préfecture to test service coordination and new procedures determined post-Irma.
These events are part of the HUREX scenario (Hurricane Exercise) conducted each year at the beginning of the hurricane season in order to test the coordination between the services of the State, the Collectivité and the armed forces in the West Indies, notably in organisation of the crisis unit. Several operators also assisted to verify the information feedback.
For more realism, the exercise included bulletins issued by Météo France providing for a deterioration of conditions until the passage to “violet vigilance” (confinement) at 6:00pm and progress of the hurricane through the night from Tuesday to Wednesday.
The preparation alert phases, from yellow vigilance to red vigilance, made it possible to test all procedures: status of supplies, port and airport security, network security, water, electricity and telephone, identification and implementation of medical evacuations, pre-positioning of reinforcements on the island, activation of shelters and alert campaigns for the population.
On Wednesday morning, as soon as the grey alert level was issued the services present at the COD triggered reconnaissance and solicited feedback to assess the situation following the passage of a category five hurricane.
The means of satellite communication could be tested. Finally, the security forces have also set up one of the mechanisms for protection and prevention measures designed to limit traffic to emergency services alone necessary after the passing of a hurricane.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/78083-hurex-exercise-conducted-on-the-french-side-tuesday
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