And while the MET office closely monitors what is still just a disturbance, the NEMO office is in full operational mode. The national coordinator told us today that his national network has to prepare for the worst, and that includes the possibility of coordinating an emergency response with COVID protocols in place:
Col. Shelton Defour (Ret'd.) - Coordinator NEMO
"It seems like by the time it reaches our coastline, this prognosis or analysis at this time is indicating that it more than likely, it will be a tropical depression. We don't know yet if it will be a tropical storm or a hurricane, but in NEMO now, we have to plan that we're going to face a hurricane. So we're trying to address two scenarios or situations: the risk of COVID-19 transmission, and the safety of the people from the threat of a hurricane or tropical storm. In the event we have to do an evacuation - remember that is the very last resort - we will know that at some point between today and I would say by Wednesday midday the latest."
