PM says it is 'truly remarkable' that no lives were lost in Irene
tribune242
8pm - Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham said it was 'truly remarkable' that no one was seriously injured or killed as a result of Hurricane Irene.
He addressed the nation in a taped television address at 8pm Friday evening to provide information regarding the storm damage and advise on what efforts will be taken to help those most affected by the dangerous storm.
In all, he advised that 1,016 people spent the storm in hurricane shelters. 156 of them in New Providence, 860 elsewhere in the country.
Assessment teams comprising Cabinet Ministers and public officers are being dispatched to all affected communities Saturday.
"The first of those departing for Cat Island tomorrow will, in addition to Ministers, include representatives from NEMA, the Department of Social Services, the Ministry of Public Works, the Ministry of Health, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), The Water and Sewerage Corporation, Bahamas Electricity Corporation, Bahamas Telecommunications Company, Bahamas National Geographic Information System (BNGIS) Unit, the Department of Meteorology and members of the Royal Bahamas Police and Royal Bahamas Defence Forces," said Mr Ingraham.
A flight will also take three Defence Force officers to Cat Island, Acklins and Crooked Island Saturday morning laden down with food, blankets, sheets, pots and tarps.
He intends to personally visit affected Family Islands starting Saturday, including Grand Cay, Green Turtle Cay and Murphy Town, Abaco as well as Cat Island, Exuma, Inagua and other islands in the Southern Bahamas where he expects to spend at least two days.
In New Providence, where most of the damage was limited to fallen trees, branches and other debris, 40 teams from the Department of Environmental Health Services were mobilised on Friday to clear major arteries that were blocked.
Both DEHS and Ministry of Works also sent out crews on Thursday even before the all clear was given. Most of the clearing work should be completed by the end of Saturday and the verges will be cleared by Monday.
"Preliminary indications are that serious structural damage was sustained by Government offices, clinics, schools, police stations, and other infrastructure facilities including public docks in Coopers Town and Moores Island, Abaco and in George Town Exuma as well as to private dwellings and businesses in some Family Islands notably in Acklins, Crooked Island, Cat Island, Mayaguana, Exuma and some communities in Abaco.
"Most other island communities have reported varying degrees of damage to private homes, businesses, farms, fishing boats and churches. Roofs of homes, and other building sustained damage in Mayaguana, Rum Cay, San Salvador, Cat Island, Long Island, Eleuthera, Spanish Wells and Harbour Island, Exuma, Abaco, Grand Bahama and New Providence."
Some hotels and beaches in Exuma were damaged and hotel properties in New Providence and Paradise Island also experienced some minor damage.
The Prime Minister said there were reports of flooding in parts of Cat Island, Exuma, Mayaguana, San Salvador, South Eleuthera, North Long Island, Freeport at Queen’s Cove, the Fishing Hole Road and West End, Rum Cay, Central Abaco (Murphy Town) and "in low lying areas of New Providence, in particular at Lady Slipper Avenue off Soldier Rd and at Trinidad Avenue in Elizabeth Estates and to a lesser extent at the usual places prone to flooding."
The Bahamas has not been left alone to finance all the repairs that are going to be necessary. "Even before the storm had departed our waters offers of assistance have been received from the Government of the United States of America, from private sector friends of The Bahamas around the United States and from our sister Caribbean state, Jamaica whose Defence Force will fly a reconnaissance flight over Inagua tomorrow," he said, "The Caribbean Development Bank today advised of availability of an Emergency Relief Grant of up to US $200,000 and soft loans if required."
The Prime Minister advised that the storm will likely create some financial setbacks for the country, but he said the Government will focus on "on creating every opportunity for greater economic recovery, with particular emphasis on job creation. We will continue to provide social support where necessary, so that those most affected can receive the relief they need"
August 26, 2011
tribune242
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