National

CDEMA Urges Regional Readiness for 2025 Atlantic Hurricane Season

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – With the 2025 hurricane season officially beginning June 1st, the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency is bracing for what’s expected to be another intense year and forecasters are projecting an above-average hurricane season.

Published

6 months ago

May 28, 2025

Italia Hall

CDEMA executive director Elizabeth Riley says their readiness and response system is being strengthened through a series of initiatives aimed at supporting member states when disaster strikes.

Elizabeth Riley – Executive Director at CDEMA

“This update will ensure that our system remains responsive and flexible in the face of complex and evolving emergencies. Our work has also extended to the operational level. We’ve streamlined our standard operating procedures within our regional coordination center, optimizing workflows. To improve operational efficiency during response activities at the sub regional level, we have made.”

More than 100 officers from military, police and fire services across the region are being trained.

Mental health response teams are also being prepared and as for regional readiness and Riley pointed to Hurricane Beryl last year, a rare early season category 5 storm as a wake-up call.

Elizabeth Riley – Executive Director at CDEMA

“It is important for us to follow the science, listen to the guidance from the climate scientists, and also to learn from previous events. So, with barrel happening so early in the season in 2024. All of the national emergency management coordinators across the region are very mindful of this.”

 CDEMA, through various partnerships, has helped strengthen infrastructure like schools in several countries and secured both financial and technical support, including commitments of up to $750,000.  

One of those partnerships is with the United Kingdom and British High Commissioner to Barbados Simon Mustard explains the value of that agreement.

Simon Mustard – British High Commissioner of Barbados

“We can provide up to nearly $375,000 worth of support per country, but we do have a mechanism within that, where our colleagues at CDEMA have up to 50,000 already available immediately, so they can quickly shape a response and start to plan through the sort of immediate period of how that looks and shapes over days.”

Support from the private sector is also a key part of CDEMA’s regional strategy and while the agency hasn’t been directly affected by U.S. Policy shifts, riley says some ripple effects have been felt.

Elizabeth Riley – Executive Director at CDEMA

“As you are aware, the regional disaster assistance program, which was one of the key flagship programs of the bureau for humanitarian affairs that was placed initially on stop order, and that program would normally have provided significant, particularly training support to our participating states as they prepare for the hurricane season, and countries have pivoted, and CDEMA has been supporting that effort.”

During the Q&A, CDEMA addressed ongoing efforts to support Haiti and how it’s responding to droughts that often follow major storms.

Programme manager for preparedness and response, Mandlea Christian says partnerships are key.

Mandela Christian – Program Manager for Preparedness and Response at CDEMA

“We work closely with the Caribbean institute for meteorology and hydrology, and they do provide us with bulletins on drought forecast, and those bulletins are made available and are available today to their respective states, to their member states, to inform the national level planning.”