By Gemma Handy
All schools are closed today and residents are being urged to make final preparations for the passage of Tropical Storm Fiona which is set to impact the country from this evening.
Antigua and Barbuda was yesterday placed under a tropical storm warning ahead of the system that was last night packing maximum sustained winds of 60mph.
Commercial banks will shut from noon today, a release from the Bankers Association advised. And the Director of Education yesterday issued a circular to all educational institutions to close for the day, with principals asked to ensure all equipment and property are secure.
According to the local Meteorological Office, TS Fiona remains on a track to affect the Leeward Islands which include the twin island nation. It is expected to dump up to four inches of rain.
The hospital has temporarily cancelled all outpatient clinic services, non-urgent admissions and elective surgeries. Affected patients will be contacted by staff to reschedule appointments. Visiting hours have also been suspended today.
Director of Administration Gary Thomas said inpatient services would continue.
“Our Emergency Department will also remain open as usual, but we are asking persons not to risk going out in the storm and coming to the hospital if it’s not an absolute emergency,” he added.
The impending storm is also affecting flights. LIAT has cancelled a number of flights on Friday and Saturday, with passengers asked to monitor their emails and LIAT’s website www.liat.com for updates.
Fellow regional carrier WINAIR also advised customers to monitor its website www.fly-winair.sx and Facebook page for information about disruptions. The airline added that, weather permitting, it planned to restart its regular flight schedule on Saturday afternoon.
The National Office of Disaster Services (NODS) is advising residents to have necessary supplies in place like adequate water, canned and other non-perishable foods, items for babies, children, the elderly and special needs individuals, and prescription medication.
A battery-operated radio and flashlight should also be on hand, and in case there is a need to evacuate or to go to a shelter, these supplies should be packed and ready to go, NODS said.
A list of available shelters has been posted on NODS’ Facebook and Instagram pages and residents are urged to continue to monitor local media for updates.
“NODS continues to be in constant communication with the local Met Office as it keeps track of the storm and informs residents about its movement,” a release said.
It added that contact has also been made with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) and countries that fall within the sub-regional focal point for which Antigua and Barbuda is responsible – namely St Kitts and Nevis, Montserrat, Anguilla, the BVI and St Maarten.
Meanwhile APUA says it intends to maintain electricity throughout the storm’s passage “providing weather conditions do not compromise the integrity of the electrical grid or equipment”.
A statement said the country’s utility provider would have a crew on duty until weather conditions deteriorate with any disruption in service to be addressed after the storm.
Repair work is not carried out on electrical lines during an active storm for safety reasons.
APUA reminded customers about the proper installation and use of standby generators.
“Ensure that a qualified electrician installs a transfer switch to isolate your generator from the APUA grid. Never connect your generator to your electrical panel or fuse box or operate inside your home.
“Also have your electrician check the generator connection to ensure that it does not feed back into the APUA line; this can cause severe injury to our workers and equipment,” the company said.
The utility firm also warned that sea conditions could affect the ability to produce potable water.
And it advised customers to unplug modems and other communication devices to prevent damage due to power surges caused by lightning, and to avoid using landline phones during lightning activity.