As the 2026 Atlantic Hurricane Season approaches, regional telecommunications provider Liberty Caribbean – parent company of major brands Flow, Liberty Business and BTC – has formally announced it is fully prepared to maintain connectivity and support local communities when the season officially kicks off on June 1.
With more than 100 years of operating experience across the Caribbean archipelago, the firm has made continuous investments to upgrade its emergency preparedness, network resilience and rapid response capabilities, positioning it to support residential customers, government agencies and entire communities through potential weather-related crises. The company’s announcement comes one year after Hurricane Melissa caused widespread damage across Jamaica, a disaster that highlighted just how critical resilient communications infrastructure and fast emergency response are for Caribbean nations.
“Hurricane Melissa reminded us once again that connectivity is far more than technology. In moments of crisis, it becomes a lifeline for families, businesses, emergency responders, and governments,” explained Inge Smidts, Chief Executive Officer of Liberty Caribbean. “The lessons from that experience have further strengthened our resolve and accelerated our investments in network resilience, operational preparedness, and recovery capabilities across the region. We remain committed to ensuring our customers and communities can rely on us when it matters most.”
Over the past 12 months, Liberty Caribbean has rolled out a series of targeted resilience upgrades across its multiple market footprints. In Jamaica, this has included large-scale investments in an enhanced next-generation mobile network, expanded spectrum capacity, diversified transport routes, hardened physical network infrastructure, expanded backup power systems, and additional network redundancy measures, all designed to boost service reliability and cut down recovery time after storms. Beyond infrastructure upgrades, the company has also run regular large-scale emergency simulation drills, updated fuel and logistics contingency plans, and coordinated closely across cross-functional teams in every operating market to guarantee rapid mobilization when extreme weather hits. Most recently, Flow Grenada completed a full emergency response drill in February 2026, with a second exercise scheduled immediately after the start of the season in June.
Smidts emphasized that while no communications network can be completely immune to damage from extreme weather events, the company’s core priority remains building stronger, more adaptive and more resilient systems that can support Caribbean communities through both disruptions and post-storm recovery. “Our teams have worked tirelessly to modernise our infrastructure, strengthen operational readiness, and improve how we respond during emergencies. While no network is immune to extreme weather events, our focus remains on building stronger, smarter, and more resilient systems capable of supporting the Caribbean through disruption and recovery alike,” Smidts added.
According to the latest 2026 Atlantic hurricane season forecast from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the season that runs from June 1 through November 30 has a 55% chance of being below average in activity, a 35% chance of being near average, and only a 10% chance of seeing above-normal storm activity. NOAA projects the season will bring between 8 and 14 named storms, defined as systems with sustained winds of at least 39 mph (63 km/h). Of these, 3 to 6 are expected to strengthen into hurricanes with winds of 74 mph (119 km/h) or more, and 1 to 3 of those are forecast to become major hurricanes (Category 3, 4 or 5) with winds exceeding 111 mph (178 km/h). By comparison, an average Atlantic hurricane season sees 14 named storms, seven hurricanes, and three major hurricanes.
“We understand the responsibility that comes with serving the Caribbean. Our commitment extends beyond connectivity alone. It is also about supporting the resilience of the communities we serve and standing beside them before, during, and after times of crisis,” Smidts said.
Lincoln Baptiste, Country Manager for Flow Grenada, noted that upgrades put in place after the impact of Hurricane Beryl have put the territory in a strong position. “We are confident in the upgrades made to the network and provisions made after the impact of Hurricane Beryl. Although we do not wish for a repeat of such natural disasters we are prepared for any disaster that may impact Grenada, Carriacou & Petite Martinique,” Baptiste said.
To wrap up its preparedness announcement, Liberty Caribbean and Flow are urging all residential and business customers across the region to review their own personal and operational hurricane preparedness plans, and to stay updated on weather forecasts and official alerts throughout the 2026 season.