The Tribune

By TANEKA THOMPSON

Tribune News Editor

tmthompson@tribunemedia.net

The widespread devastation Hurricane Joaquin brought to the southern and central Bahamas has exposed glaring inefficiencies in this country’s disaster preparedness and emergency management policies.

The storm also showed just how disconnected many of our Family Islands are from the hub of the capital city. While residents in New Providence carried on with business as usual, those in the southern and central Bahamas saw dangerous flood waters enter their homes; had roofs, doors and windows ripped off by hurricane force winds and storm surges; and lost contact with the outside world for days on end.

Last night, many people in the storm-affected areas were still without electricity or telephone services, with no way to contact concerned friends and family members outside their communities. With their homes destroyed, many were holed up in makeshift shelters, devastated from the loss of their possessions.

The government mobilised assessment teams on Saturday afternoon, shortly after the country was given the all-clear that Joaquin had moved out of Bahamian territory.

However much of that assessment was relegated to aerial surveillance, because heavy flooding had made airports inaccessible. There was no way for the government to get aid or help to the areas most in need on Saturday because we did not have helicopters or seaplanes at our disposal to immediately get into ground zero.

Aid began to trickle into the areas in need on Sunday, thanks to relief efforts from charities, local groups, businesses and the international community.

Police and Royal Bahamas Defence Force teams were also able to get aid into affected areas yesterday. But with some areas still inaccessible due to floods and debris, it is unknown how much relief got to those who needed it the most.

Joaquin formed as a tropical storm last Monday and had churned into a category three hurricane by Wednesday. By Thursday it was a ferocious category four storm.

While Joaquin slowly battered Acklins, Crooked Island, Inagua, San Salvador, Long Island and Rum Cay on Thursday, criticism of the Christie administration exploded on social media and talk radio.

Images began to circulate on social media of heavy flooding and infrastructure damage in the southern Bahamas. There was even word from MICAL MP V Alfred Gray that eight to 10 people were stuck on the tiny area of Samana Cay, with no way to contact people for help.

On Thursday morning, residents from Acklins were reporting that storm surges were gushing inside their homes, with flooding higher than three feet in some cases. Some were said to be trapped inside their homes due to floodwaters.

One Acklins resident said no emergency shelters were open and others from the island said they were not properly warned by meteorological officials about the impending storm and given little time to prepare or evacuate. There were similar stories from other islands in the southern and central Bahamas.

As these harrowing reports were coming in on Thursday, there was no word from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) or the government about the tragedy that was unfolding a few hundred miles away from Nassau. NEMA did not hold a press briefing until 3pm on Thursday.

It was at that press conference where Prime Minister Christie, for the second time that day, called the storm’s passage a “teachable moment”.

Many observers noted that, at times, the Prime Minister smiled during the press briefing and appeared light-hearted while talking about the dangerous natural disaster, unaware that his demeanour appeared detached from reality and inappropriate given the circumstances.

“The first point I want to make here is that a living experience of events to do with nature continues to be teachable moments in the life of a country, meaning that we cannot afford not to learn from our experiences and work towards ensuring that we empower ourselves through the knowledge we have gained through events that have taken place,” he said.

“There is still the challenge of preparedness and whether or not people are fair in their commentary or accurate; you heard talking from islands about not having been prepared, being caught by surprise.”

Mr Christie went on to say that the country, because it is an archipelago, must anticipate the need for instant response to such tragedies.

At a press conference after a special Cabinet meeting the next day, Mr Christie acknowledged that the government had limited communication with residents on the hardest hit islands - Acklins, Crooked Island and Long Island. He said there was no communication with residents on Acklins for hours on Thursday and Friday. The government also lost communication with Crooked Island on Thursday.

“When we have an experience of there being no communication, we have to be very concerned about it. At the end of the day, notwithstanding law, the political directorate will have to carry the responsibility for what hasn’t happened, or what happened incorrectly,” Mr Christie said on Friday.

Hopefully the Christie administration will implement better emergency response and preparation procedures as the nation grapples with the aftermath of Joaquin.

NEMA should be able to put out emergency advisories or broadcasts well in advance of dangerous natural disasters with mandatory evacuations for those expected to be hardest hit.

Our government must invest in seaplanes and helicopters to be able to mobilise as soon as possible to far flung islands. We should not have to solely rely on assistance from the US Coast Guard or other such entities to help us.

Most importantly, there needs to be a sense of urgency from our officials when our brothers and sisters on Family Islands are going through harrowing experiences and not appear to take a lackadaisical approach.

• What do you think? Email comments to tmthompson@tribunemedia.net