The Bureau Rampenbestrijding Aruba (BRA) has taken note of social media posts the last 48 hours surrounding a tropical disturbance in the Atlantic Ocean. The National Hurricane located in Miami, USA, which is the official organization for the Atlantic and Caribbean tasked with informing and predicting the disturbance L94 which has a 60% chance of forming into a tropic storm in the following 5 days.
The tropical disturbance L94 is the fifth system for the 2022 Hurricane season of which just one has received a name; Alex. The organization in Miami has released a list of islands that need to monitor the distrubance L94.
Since the 15th of May, and in accordance with the hurricane plan, Meteo Aruba, BRA, and other authorities have been monitoring the weather for the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean.
The moment a tropical storm becomes a threat to Aruba which can cost lives or infrastructural damages, Meteo Aruba after consulting with the National Hurricane Center, will consult with the BRA which in turn will inform the commander in chief and the policy team to place Aruba on Watch.
Aruba’s hurricane plan consists of three phases before any tropical storm has any effect on Aruba. The first phase is monitoring which goes on from May 15 to November 30 every year. Then, if necessary, Aruba will be placed on Watch from 120 up to 96 hours prior to landfall. Lastly, 36 hours prior to landfall, Aruba will be placed on Warning.
In the case of a Watch or Warning, the commander in chief, in this case the Prime Minister of Aruba, will organize a press conference to inform the public as the only authorized organization that Aruba has been placed on Watch or Warning.
The public of Aruba and the authorities then need to revise their plans for both home and commercial risks. At this moment, L94 has a 60 percent chance of turning into a tropical storm with no necessity to panic as is currently ongoing on social media. The public must follow the official communication means for any developments.
The press will receive official information through Meteo Aruba and BRA in the case of any events. Aruba is in the monitoring phase and not the Watch phase. With this information, the BRA hopes to mitigate the hype created around the disturbance.
