Eight years after the catastrophic Hurricane Maria, Dominica has emerged as a regional leader in meteorological infrastructure within the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). Minister for National Security Rayburn Blackmoore highlighted this achievement during a walk-through ceremony at the Office of Disaster Management Building in Jimmit on Monday. The event was organized to showcase the significant progress made in meteorological forecasting and disaster management since the hurricane devastated the island in 2017. Blackmoore emphasized the importance of recognizing advancements, stating, ‘Let us not underestimate the progress we have made. Eight years after Hurricane Maria, we have the best Met Services infrastructure in the OECS.’ He noted that Dominica now boasts a standalone meteorological headquarters, a project initiated in 2019, which surpasses the facilities of neighboring countries that often operate from airports or smaller offices. Blackmoore stressed the critical role of well-equipped meteorological services in achieving Dominica’s goal of becoming the first climate-resilient nation. ‘We must have the prerequisite resources in personnel and equipment to better forecast and issue warnings,’ he said. The minister also highlighted the country’s investment in automatic water gauges and other advanced tools, which have reduced reliance on external entities for weather alerts. ‘No one would have thought that Dominica would be the first in the OECS to have a dedicated Met Services building,’ Blackmoore remarked, underscoring the island’s remarkable transformation since Hurricane Maria.