Powerful 7.7 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Panama

Sint Maarten's Office of Disaster Management (ODM) is urging residents and the business community to remain alert and prepared, even as current forecasts continue to indicate below-normal tropical cyclone activity in the weeks ahead. The advisory reflects the ODM's position that reduced forecast activity should not translate into complacency among islanders. Hurricane season remains active, and conditions can shift rapidly in the Caribbean basin. The ODM's warning is directed at both the general public and the business sector, signaling that preparedness measures should remain in place regardless of favorable projections. The call to stay vigilant is consistent with emergency management best practices, which emphasize that even a single storm can have devastating consequences for a small island like Sint Maarten.

St. Maarten's Office of Disaster Management (ODM) Fire Chief and National Disaster Coordinator Clive Richardson is urging residents to remain vigilant despite forecasters continuing to favor below-normal Atlantic hurricane season activity. Richardson referenced a September 30 forecast update from Colorado State University's Department of Atmospheric Science, which projects below-average storm activity for the coming two-week period. The update comes with eight named storms already recorded this season. While the outlook is relatively favorable, ODM is cautioning that below-normal forecasts do not eliminate risk, and preparedness remains essential. St. Maarten, still carrying memories of the catastrophic impact of Hurricane Irma in 2017, takes hurricane season messaging seriously at the government level. Residents are being reminded that any single storm can cause significant damage regardless of overall seasonal activity levels.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of Hurricane Inez, one of the most powerful and destructive storms of the 1966 Atlantic hurricane season. Inez formed in the Atlantic Ocean on September 21, 1966, and rapidly intensified in the days that followed. The storm carved a devastating path through the Caribbean, leaving widespread destruction across multiple islands and communities in the region. Inez is remembered as one of the most intense cyclones of its era, a benchmark storm in Caribbean hurricane history. The anniversary serves as a reminder of the region's ongoing vulnerability to powerful tropical systems, particularly relevant as the current Atlantic hurricane season continues.