SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY, (DCOMM) – On Friday morning August 15, 2025, Tropical Storm Erin was upgraded to a Category 1 hurricane. Hurricane Erin is the first hurricane for the season, and it continues to make its way across the eastern Atlantic Ocean towards the Leeward Islands.

The Meteorological Department of Sint Maarten (MDS), said on Friday that a Tropical Storm Watch remains in effect for Sint Maarten until further notice. A watch is issued when tropical storm conditions of sustained winds of 39 to 73 miles per hour are possible within a specified area within 48 hours.

MDS says Erin is expected to pass at its closest point approximately 150 miles north of Sint Maarten on Saturday, August 16, 2025.

The Government of Sint Maarten is advising all residents and visitors to take immediate precautionary measures as Hurricane Erin, the first hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic season, moves west-northwest in the direction of the St. Maarten.

As of the 11:00 a.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Center (NHC), Erin is a Category 1 hurricane located at 18.2° N, 56.1° W, approximately 460 miles east of the St. Maarten, with maximum sustained winds near 75 mph.

In preparation for the potential impact, all Government offices will close today at 12:00 p.m. This decision is to allow civil servants time to secure their homes and ensure the safety of their families. The closure of the private sector remains at the discretion of individual employers.

The public is urged to:

Secure all outdoor items, including furniture, construction materials, and garbage bins.

Remove or dismantle billboards, banners, and temporary signage to prevent them from becoming dangerous projectiles.

Clear drainage ditches and yard gutters to reduce flood risk.

Stock up on essential supplies including potable water, non-perishable food, medications, flashlights, and batteries.

Avoid unnecessary travel once weather conditions begin to deteriorate.

Business owners should secure storefront glass, ensure signage is firmly anchored or removed, check rooftop installations, and ensure backup power sources are functional and fueled.

Visitors are advised to follow all guidance from their accommodation providers, avoid beaches from tonight onward due to high surf and dangerous rip currents, and monitor official communications from the Government, the Meteorological Department of Sint Maarten and the office of Disaster Management.

Based on the NHC forecast, tropical storm conditions are possible in Sint Maarten as early as Saturday morning, August 16, with winds between 40–50 mph and gusts up to 60 mph possible. Rainfall totals of 2–4 inches, with isolated amounts up to 6 inches, may result in flash flooding and localized landslides in vulnerable areas. Seas are expected to reach 10–15 feet, creating dangerous surf and rip currents along east- and north-facing shores.

Honorable Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina stated, “The safety of our people and visitors is our highest priority. While the forecast indicates that Hurricane Erin will pass north of our island, the potential for strong winds, heavy rains, and rough seas is very real. We must be prepared at all times as we in the peak of the hurricane season.”

He further urged timely action, “I am calling on residents and business owners to secure their properties, remove loose items, and follow all official advisories. The time to prepare is now, not when the winds begin to blow. Together, we can reduce the risks and protect lives.”

PM Dr. Mercelina also addressed the private sector, “While the decision to close remains with individual employers, I encourage businesses to consider early release, so employees have time to make their homes safe and assist their families. Preparedness is a shared responsibility.”

Residents and the business community should continue to monitor the progress of Hurricane Erin and to make sure their property is storm/hurricane ready.

Monitor local weather reports from MDS: www.meteosxm.com or visit their social media page Facebook.com/sxmweather/ in connection with the approach of the weather system.

For more information on hurricane preparedness and to find a list of official resources, please visit the Government website: www.sintmaartengov.org/hurricane where you will be able to download your “Hurricane Season Readiness Guide’ and “Hurricane Tracking Chart” or you can use the following link: https://shorturl.at/VbaxC

Listen to the Government Radio station – SXMGOV 107.9FM - for official information and news before, during and after a hurricane. You can also follow weather related news and information as well as national addresses by the Prime Minister, chairperson of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) by going to @SXMGOV Facebook Page.

Remember, it only takes one hurricane to make it a bad season. Remain vigilant and prepared!

SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - The Ministry of VROMI is calling on all crane operators across Sint Maarten to immediately fold and secure their cranes in preparation for the approaching storm system.

Unsecured cranes pose a serious risk to public safety and infrastructure during high winds and heavy rainfall. Operators are instructed to:

• Fold and lock cranes into their safest position
• Secure all loose components and attachments
• Ensure proper anchoring and stability

Compliance is mandatory and will be monitored. The Ministry appreciates the cooperation of all operators in safeguarding our community. Please stay safe, vigilant and prepared.

GREAT BAY, Sint Maarten (DCOMM) – Tropical Storm Erin continues to make its way across the eastern Atlantic Ocean towards the Leeward Islands. At the same time, it’s strengthening and is forecast to become a hurricane on Friday.

According to the Meteorological Department of Sint Maarten (MDS), due to the uncertainties surrounding both the track and intensity of this system, a Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for Sint Maarten until further notice. A watch is issued when tropical storm conditions of sustained winds of 39 to 73 miles per hour are possible within a specified area within 48 hours.

MDS says Erin could pass at its closest point approximately 135 miles northeast of Sint Maarten on Saturday, August 16, 2025.

The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) will meet on Friday morning August 15, 2025 where an update will be provided about the forecast track of Erin and what further advice and actions will be taken after the assessment.

Residents and the business community are being called upon to continue to monitor the progress of Tropical Storm Erin and to review their hurricane season preparations and to make sure their property is storm/hurricane ready.

MDS says potential impacts associated with this system are heavy rainfall and thunderstorms, gusty winds and elevated seas.

Fire Chief and National Disaster Coordinator of the Office of Disaster Management (ODM) Clive Richardson is calling on residents and the business community to be prepared to take precautionary measures.

Boat owners/mariners are advised to implement their storm/hurricane season action plans in order to safeguard their vessel. Small vessels should not venture out to sea.

The building sector should review and be prepared to implement their storm-ready plans. Construction activities, trenching and excavation works, are taking place throughout the country, and at building and construction sites, materials and debris laying around could pose a threat in the event of a storm/hurricane. Contractors and builders are requested to make sites storm/hurricane ready.

Food wholesalers and warehouse depots are requested to review and be prepared to implement their storm ready plans for their establishment by

securing their properties, making sure that there are no unsecured pallets on their property.

Persons should not venture out over the weekend on hikes or mountain biking and swimming, as sea conditions are forecast to gradually deteriorate.

Monitor local weather reports from MDS: www.meteosxm.com or visit their social media page Facebook.com/sxmweather/ in connection with the approach of the weather system.

For more information on hurricane preparedness and to find a list of official resources, please visit the Government website: www.sintmaartengov.org/hurricane where you will be able to download your “Hurricane Season Readiness Guide’ and “Hurricane Tracking Chart” or you can use the following link: https://shorturl.at/VbaxC

Listen to the Government Radio station – SXMGOV 107.9FM - for official information and news before, during and after a hurricane. You can also follow weather related news and information as well as national addresses by the Prime Minister, chairperson of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) by going to @SXMGOV Facebook Page.

Remember, it only takes one hurricane to make it a bad season. Remain vigilant and prepared!

SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - On World Mangrove Day, the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) is sounding the alarm: mangroves, nature’s coastal protectors, are under serious threat across the region.

Found only on Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao and St. Maarten, these salt-tolerant forests are among the most powerful ecosystems in the Dutch Caribbean. They absorb up to 10 times more carbon than tropical rainforests, buffer coastlines from erosion and storms, and provide nursery grounds for countless marine species.

Yet across the islands, mangroves are declining fast. But there’s a path forward, if we act now.

Alarming Findings

The recently published State of Nature Report Caribbean Netherlands, by Wageningen Marine Research and subsidized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature (LVVN), reveals a disturbing trend for mangroves.

The report identifies coastal development and erosion, made worse by poor water management and sedimentation, as the biggest threats to mangroves today. The report finds that, on Bonaire, many mangroves areas show declining ecological conditions, especially in places like Lac Bay and Lagun where hydrological disruption is severe.

Sediment buildup is suffocating root systems, and degraded upstream catchments are funneling more runoff into mangrove zones than ever before. Although this report focused on the mangroves of Bonaire, these threats and environmental patterns are seen on the other three islands (Aruba, Curaçao, and St. Maarten) as well.

Mangroves are a cornerstone of both climate resilience and biodiversity, providing essential services that benefit people, wildlife, and the economy. From buffering coastlines against storms to supporting fisheries and storing vast amounts of carbon, their role in ecosystem health cannot be overstated.

The State of Nature Report makes it clear: without immediate and sustained action, we risk losing these critical habitats, and with them, the natural defenses our islands depend on

Where Do We Go from Here?

The Ministry of LVVN plays a crucial role in nature conservation in Bonaire, Saba, and St. Eustatius, as outlined in the Nature and Environmental Policy Plan Caribbean Netherlands (NEPP) 2020–2030.

Recent statements, such as DCNA’s call to action stressed the need for immediate action while a joint statement published by WWF and island partners (including DCNA, local protected area management organizations and nature NGOs) estimated €300 million in additional funding is needed to meet the NEPP’s 2030 milestones.

Roughly half of this is required for direct conservation and restoration of nature (such as mangroves, coral reefs, forests), while the other half is needed to upgrade critical environmental infrastructure, such as wastewater treatment systems.

It’s a big number, but big problems demand bold investments if we want to see real, lasting change for nature. Delaying action will only make future solutions more expensive and less effective, while ecosystems continue to degrade.

At the same time, the other Dutch Caribbean islands, Aruba, Curaçao and St. Maarten, also face growing threats to their ecosystems and are in need for more support. There is an urgent need for a coordinated regional approach and more equitable funding across all six islands.

DCNA is committed to helping lead this change for all six Dutch Caribbean islands. With support from the Dutch Postcode Lottery and co-funding from WWF-NL and Bloomberg Philanthropies, DCNA is kick-starting the Conservation and Restoration of Key Habitats Program.

To help reverse the alarming decline of mangroves and other key habitats, this regional Program will place strong emphasis on key habitats such as mangroves, scaling up on-the-ground restoration, strengthening environmental policy and enforcement, and embedding habitat protection into spatial planning and climate strategies at both national and island levels.

If we lose mangroves, we lose one of nature’s most effective shields against climate change and biodiversity loss. But with joint action, these ecosystems can recover and continue protecting life above and below the waterline.

Red and Black Mangroves Photo credit Marjolijn Lopes Cardozo

Degraded mangrove area. Photo credit Henkjan Kievit