A NEAR ALL-DAY tropical storm watch and flood warning, school closures and later a nationwide power outage did not lead to a national shutdown yesterday, creating some confusion among Barbadians.
As Hurricane Maria made her effects felt yesterday for the earlier part of the day, social media and newsrooms were inundated with questions and calls as to whether schools would be open, if there would be business as usual, and if an all-clear was needed following the storm watch and flood warnings.
But despite schools closing and reports of flooding due to the inclement weather, the Department of Emergency Management (DEM) said there was no need for a national shutdown, which was usually then followed by the all-clear. At the time of the first advisory from the Met Office on Saturday, Maria was a tropical storm but developed into a hurricane by Sunday evening.
In an interview with the DAILY NATION, DEM deputy director Captain Robert Harewood said the protocol for a tropical storm warning was followed, including a meeting of DEM’s operations group to plan for any possible weather systems. (AD)
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