UN says Hurricane Hermine is wake up call for an active hurricane season

2 September 2016, GENEVA – The UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction, Mr. Robert Glasser, praised Florida’s preparedness today for the first hurricane to make landfall in the US State since 2005.

Mr. Glasser said: “The Governor of Florida, Mr. Rick Scott, has shown real leadership in ensuring that the public is risk informed about the life threatening nature of Hurricane Hermine and all preparedness and response measures have been activated in good time to save lives.

“It is important to ensure there is no complacency after an 11 year gap since the last such event, taking into account the added impact of warming coastal waters and rising seas as a result of climate change. Such events can result in strong tidal surges and flash flooding. Vigilance is key.”

Mr. Glasser added: “Hurricane Hermine is a wake-up call. We are now in the most dangerous and active phase of the Atlantic Hurricane Season. Between mid-August and mid-October is when there is usually a peak of activity. One of the positive impacts of the El Niño weather phenomenon is that it contributed to a decrease in tropical storms in the Atlantic, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea but it ended in May so we can no longer expect a below average Atlantic hurricane season.

“Hurricane Hermine is an important test of disaster resilience in Florida. Economic losses are an important indicator of resilience. It may be the biggest test since Superstorm Sandy caused US$71.4 billion worth of losses in 2012.”