No work Friday | Gov’t offices closing ahead of Hurricane Jerry
Public servants in the British Virgin Islands will not be required to report for work on Friday, September 19, as the territory braces for the impending impact of Hurricane Jerry.
Deputy Premier and Minister of Labour, Vincent Wheatley, told BVI News on Thursday that these government employees can now utilize the time to ready themselves and their families in the event of a direct impact.
“Hurricane Jerry is projected to pass to the north of us so just as a precaution the government decided to err on the side of caution and get ready for it in case it changes direction,” Wheatley said.
Friday’s closure does not apply to essential services workers such as police, prison officers, Water & Sewerage workers, Fire & Rescue officers, electricity workers, telecommunication workers, healthcare providers, transportation services workers and those from port services.
Advice to residents
In the meantime, Wheatley is urging residents to be prepared for the looming weather event.
“Be ready and stay ready because we are in the middle of the hurricane season. Get your hurricane supplies on hand, listen to the radio for advisories,” he said.
Jerry to pass close to BVI, Anegada closest to storm’s path
In its latest weather advisory, the Department of Disaster Management’s (DDM) said Hurricane Jerry has increased its maximum sustained winds from 50 miles per hour to 75 miles per hour with higher gusts.
The DDM further said Jerry is expected to be impacted in the early hours of Saturday and dump up to six inches of rain on the sister island of Anegada. So far, Anegada appears to be the closest to Hurricane’s Jerry’s projected path when compared to other islands in the territory.
Meanwhile, forecasters have said the extent of Jerry’s impact on the BVI depends on the deviation of the hurricane.
“The centre of Jerry will be near or north of the British Virgin Islands on Saturday. But if Jerry deviates from its current track a bit further south, conditions will be further enhanced across the territory,” the DDM said on Thursday.
At the time of the update, Hurricane Jerry was located approximately 490 miles east of the Leeward Islands.
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needs to work on their forecasting. Jerry is passing 140 miles above the BVI!
Hurricanes and other forces of nature does not have a preordained destiny. We can never be certain of the exact direction, speed or size. We can go to sleep later and the hurricane then shift it’s course and speed. The direction and path of hurricanes especially early forecast are only estimates. Take Dorian for example which alternated speeds for days and even remain completed stagnant for hours. Was predicted to cover the entire State of Florida only to have minimum effect then unpredictably end up as far north as Canada. Predicting the weather is only science based gambles but unlike a rain storm you cant just continue as normal and walk with an umbrella just in case during a hurricane.
Why? Passing well over a hundred miles north of us and hurricane force winds only extend out 10 miles. It cannot do what Dorian did as its almost north of us already
Wow another holiday just what the Businesses need
You sound like an expat Jack e$$, I guess that carefree ignorance is usually why we end up collecting the likes of you in yachts in past hurricanes.
No one can say they were not informed.You have ample time to handle and prepare.
So Friday 20 Sept. is a ‘storm’ holiday for most government employees. I assume that these employees will make up the ‘storm’ holiday on Sat. 21 Sept. or maybe Sat. 28 Sept.
I remember only 2yrs ago we were watching a storm on almost this same projected path and begging Anegadians to come down to Tortola because it was supposedly heading north of ‘us’ ans towards ‘them’. I dont have to go on……..better safe than sorry and ignore the jackasses. If it keeps north then good and people can enjoy their time off.
May be the all country should shut down when a tropical wave leave the african coast.
Most US territories don’t take that drastic a stance but usually shut down when storms get closer as a precaution nitwit…..
yes better to be safe than sorry when the threat is high and very real but there is little disagreement that this storm is predicted to pass well north of us – yes we have to be prepared and persons should be so this time of year but to advise everyone to shut down losing the country hundreds of thousands of revenue I am not convinced this was the right call.
pure assishness