Royal Navy sailors from Portsmouth prepare to save lives if hurricanes hit Caribbean

HMS Medway, which is permanently based in the region, has linked up with helicopter carrier and support ship, RFA Argus in Montserrat for the first time.

The pair of vessels have now begun their map out their combined disaster relief planning and preparation.

It comes just six weeks before the start of the storm season, which could once again ravage communities in the region.

In almost every year for the past couple of decades, Royal Navy or Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships in the Caribbean have been called upon to assist islanders battered by storms, most recently Bahamians in the wake of Hurricane Dorian last autumn.

In Montserrat, Argus’ air group was reminded of the devastating power of nature – but not a storm.

Half the island – including its capital Plymouth – remains out of bounds, the result of a series of eruptions from the Soufrière Hills volcano, which had been dormant for hundreds of years.

The crisis reached its climax in 1997, destroying 80 per cent of Plymouth, including the island’s only hospital and airport, burying it in mud and ash up to 12 metres deep.

Portsmouth-based destroyer HMS Liverpool helped islanders move to the north side of Montserrat, although two-thirds of the population subsequently emigrated to the UK.

“The airborne view of the abandoned city served as a powerful reminder of the impact of natural disasters – and reinforced the need for Argus’ presence to enable rapid humanitarian relief,’ said Merlin pilot Captain Anne Bloechle, a US Marine Corps officer on exchange with 845 Naval Air Squadron.

‘If a disaster should occur during this hurricane season, our support helicopters can bring supplies and personnel from ship to remote locations ashore. The recent flights have familiarised aircrew with the islands to ensure the best possible support to those living in nature’s destructive path.’

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