The Department of Environment & Coastal Resources (DECR) is reminding the public that sand, for the filling of sand bags during hurricane preparations, is available for collection.
The advisory arose with the possibility of Tropical Storm Fiona tracking close to the Turks and Caicos Islands, which could be as early as Monday.
Tropical Storm Fiona was forecast to move across the Caribbean’s easternmost islands Friday night before slowing to a spot just south of the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico late Saturday and Sunday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.
The Atlantic Hurricane Season’s sixth named storm was sustaining top winds of about 50 mph (85 kph) when an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft measured its progress Friday morning, the center said.
Tropical storm warnings were in effect for the Leeward Islands, and a tropical storm watch was issued for Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Dominica.
According to the DECR, it is important to make preparation for the storms, and securing your home with sandbags is one way to do so. Sand, the DECR said, may be collected at the following locations:
Providenciales: National Environmental Centre, DECR, Lower Bight Road;
Grand Turk: Central Processing Unit (CPU) Yard; and
South Caicos: Library yard.
persons in North and Middle Caicos and Salt Cay are urged to contact the District Commissioner for information.
T
he DECR said each household is limited to a maximum of 10 sandbags to be filled, and should bring own shovels to load the bags with sand.
The public is urged to contact the nearest Red Cross branch to determine when and where sandbags may be collected.
Should you have any further questions or concerns, please contact the DECR at 338-4170 or environment@gov.tc.
In the meantime, the Department of Disaster Management and Emergency is urging to the public to download the DDME Ap, to keep track of alerts and information.