Hurricane Irene lessons... So what have we learned for the future should we be faced with another storm?

LESSONS LEARNED FROM IRENE



By ROBERT CARRON
tribune242 editorial Insight


THERE is no doubt that The Bahamas was facing a threat of devastating proportions as Category 4 Hurricane Irene with winds of 135 mph, storm surges of immense proportions and torrential rain prepared to plow its way up through the entire length of our archipelago. Miraculously we were spared such a fate and suffered minimal damage with no reported loss of life.

Having had the opportunity to travel with the Prime Minister and members of his government as they assessed the damage from Hurricane Irene first hand in various Family Island communities over the last three days what immediately was apparent was Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham was there to make decisions. There was going to be no sending out of assessment teams before anything was done as in the past. The Family Island Administrators had made their reports by satellite phones, updated the various Ministers about what needed to be done. Mr Ingraham was there firsthand to learn, apply his vast knowledge and experience and make decisions to ensure that his government was accountable to the people it served.

While not wanting to minimise any damage suffered by any fellow Bahamians as trivial, because any loss no matter how small, is devastating, however contrary to reports in another daily newspaper Eleuthera was not "devastated" in the sense in which that word was being used. In fact, having been there after four hurricanes since Andrew in 1992, given the strength of the Hurricane Irene we were amazed to see how well the islands, people and communities withstood its onslaught compared to Andrew, Floyd and Jeanne. Of course, there were homes that suffered great damage, communities such as Arthur's Town, James Cistern, Green Turtle Cay, Knowles, Governor's Harbour southern Cat Island, Chesters and Lovely Bay that also suffered (see our photos), but there was nothing to suggest that there was devastation and between those areas in some cases there was no sign of a storm. As the Prime Minister clearly told the press, the words "relieved" or "spared" could have been so much better.

In 1992 and again with Hurricane Floyd, the Current, for example, suffered extensive damage so much so that only two structures were left standing. On Friday from the helicopter hovering at 100ft, no structure was destroyed and no roofs were completely damaged. In fact it appeared that the residents' immediate needs were shingles and plywood. Valentine's dock, another usual fatality that anyone would be a fool to go into a "web shop" to bet that it would survive, beat the odds. There, standing proud with only a few pieces of wood missing on its outer docks, was Valentine's dock. We were all amazed. The seawalls that had been installed in 1992 and 1999 were in all cases - from Eleuthera to Exuma to Cat Island -- a tremendous success and a good investment of the people's taxes. Not a single road that was protected by these walls had been washed away, nor were they in need of anything but a few very minor cosmetic repairs. Roads that were not protected such as in Knowles' or Smith's Bay were washed away.

So what have we learned for the future should we be faced with another storm? Well three things:

First and foremost BEC needs to be managed and held accountable to a much higher standard. The light poles - 48 of them that we counted on our tour of Cat Island- were down, not because of hurricane force winds, but because of shoddy installation and lack of planning. In all cases had the poles been drilled to the accurate depth and/or inspected afterwards perhaps the communities would not be without power today and having to wait, we are told, two to three weeks to have these poles replaced. That the power plant in Bluff, Eleuthera, a lovely modern showpiece, is without fuel to produce power is baffling. The key ingredient of a power plant for generators is oil. We understand that the government was told that the plant had enough oil to last to September 6th. We have learned that the oil is on the island, but not at the plant. BEC needs to be accountable and a public investigation needs to be initiated.

If BTC is to have the tremendous privilege of holding an exclusive cellular service within our Commonwealth then with that immense gift comes fiduciary responsibilities that the government will have to enforce. That BTC cell sites do not have their own generation facilities is shortsighted.

Marlon Johnson, VP of Sales and Marketing, made a statement to the press that the communications failure is "not our fault this time" as BEC is off. Well, yes, it is! BTC should not have to rely on the unreliable power of BEC because then they are only as reliable as something in which they have no vested interest and over which they have no control. Furthermore, having been given an exclusive cellular service in 2011 how on earth are people supposed to communicate in such dire circumstances when BEC's policy is to turn off the grid before the storm to protect its equipment and people's lives? BTC must install generators at key cell sites -- which, other than the tower in Eleuthera, appears to have suffered no damage. Are we being plunged back into the stone age to communicate by carrier pigeon all for the sake of a few generators?

The most important lesson as a country that has to be faced is that global warming, increasing violent hurricane seasons and other variables outside of our control will be a part of our future. In other words we have to accept that some of our communities are geographically unsustainable in terms of protection. The FNM and PLP also need to start a national political discussion without the usual bickering on the sustainability of having such far flung settlements inhabited by so few people, with declining populations instead of building one or two super settlements in various islands. We as a country must accept the fact that we can no longer afford to invest millions of dollars for capital projects for 72 people in any settlement. when the demands of our young and increasing population and other social infrastructure improvements go unchecked.

The media also has to play its role. It is not fair to report fiction, or to create public panic by innuendo. As the publisher of this newspaper always insists: "When in doubt, leave out!" And as the Prime Minister stated: "The clinic of Smith's Bay was not completely destroyed" as reported, although it did lose all the shingles on its roof. In fact, upon entering the facility the drop ceiling had been cleaned up and this clinic would be in good shape in a matter of days.

The Bahamian people and our media can take great reassurance from a recent article in Businessweek magazine, written by Jeff McMahon, that showed that Bahamians are nowhere near the bottom of the pile.

"Hurricane Irene is swirling around me right now," he wrote, "slamming gates, lashing shutters with wind and rain, bending coconut palms, and sweeping from these low, sandy islands anything that's not been tied down.

"In the hours leading to this moment, two distinct kinds of humans could be observed here: panicked Americans and calm Bahamians.

"American tourists crowded hotel reception desks and taxi stands yesterday, rushing to escape to the more besieged airport, while Bahamians took in stride the necessity of additional work: screwing plywood over windows, stacking deck chairs and tossing them into hotel pools to keep them from becoming airborne in the coming winds.

"Why such a difference in attitude between Bahamians and Americans? Here's what one native Bahamian told me: 'I have lived through many hurricanes in the Bahamas. You just need a place to stay out of the rain and relax until it's over."

Meanwhile, the American news channels, CNN and The Weather Channel, have been hawking danger and devastation for these islands and for 55 million people on the American East Coast. "You need to have a survival kit!" one televised expert insisted. "After 9-11 people found themselves without goggles and gas masks."

How will a gas mask help in this hurricane? Let's hope lessons learned beget lives saved.

August 29, 2011

tribune242 editorial Insight

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