The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

and Annelia Nixon

Bahamian insurers yesterday said they are bracing for an unknown number of property and auto claims following the weekend’s heavy rainfall and flooding.

Anton Saunders, Royal Star Assurance’s managing director, told Tribune Business he “expects some” claims from persons whose homes were flooded in Pinewood Gardens as well as areas in western New Providence that are not accustomed to seeing flooding or water-related damage to their assets.

“I just spoke to my people,” he said. “Persons are assessing. There are still those people who have water in their homes and are just trying to deal with that before they reach out to the insurance companies. It was a lot of water that fell in a lot of places.

“Some of that was in the regular places, and some got a little bit more rain than they are used to. Those that got more rain than they are used to, we expect something from those areas. There was a lot of water in areas out west that are not accustomed to having that water. The Grove is accustomed to water but had a lot of rain.

“Pinewood Gardens, we have the history with that. Those are the areas we think something is going to be coming from. We haven’t seen anything yet, but I am expecting some. I think so. I expect some. People in Pinewood must have insurance. It was particularly bad out there.” 

Mr Saunders, though, said many of the flood-damaged cars, such as Nissan Notes, were only likely covered by third party insurance rather than comprehensive and thus would be unable to make a claim for compensation.

Bruce Ferguson, the Bahamas Insurance Brokers Association’s (BIBA) president, told this newspaper of the weekend’s flooding: “I’m sure there will be claims. Comprehensive cover provides for damage to the vehicle by any cause, whether it’s accident damage or flooding damage. Last time this happened a few years ago I saw a number of cars had to be written-off.

“We are expecting claims. I haven’t seen any myself but I am sure they are coming in. We as an industry, and insurance brokers, will stand behind our clients and help them with any claims they have.” The weekend floods forced businesses such as LonBon’s Ice Creams in Pinewood Gardens and Sabrina, a boutique in the Lyford Cay Shopping Plaza, to close.

The flood, brought on by heavy rains on early Saturday morning, caught Sabrina Lightbourn off-guard. She told Tribune Business she knew it would rain but did not think it would be to that extent. She said due to blocked drains water settled in the area, causing many businesses, including her own, to either shut down for the remainder of the day or not open at all. 

“So my shop looks out on to the roundabout as you go into Lyford Cay,” Mrs Lightbourn said of Sabrina’s. “So, we get that water that comes down the hill as you go up to Island House. So all of that water just comes down, and then there’s a couple drains, and I guess what happened was one of the drains was clogged. Not our drains, but the general drain for the area and then, of course, it was also high tide, which we found out later.”

Similarly, LonBon, which is located in one of New Providence’s most flood prone, low lying areas, does not have a drainage system at all, according to owner, Lonna Bethel. The Ministry of Works posted on its Facebook page on Saturday morning a warning to the public to avoid multiple flooded areas, including Pinewood Gardens. Ms Bethel said this further convinced her that opening on Saturday would not have been a good idea.

“I know at some point on Saturday there was a team from Ministry of Works that were working in the Pinewood area,” Ms Bethel said. “I think they were cleaning some drainage systems, and they were actually advising persons to not come to Pinewood; to not access that area. There’s always a stigma about that area when it comes to flooding, and so automatically we knew persons are going to be so afraid to bring their vehicle to that area.”

Ms Bethel said she applauds the work the Ministry of Works has done to make Pinewood Gardens a driveable area again after the flood. And Mrs Lightbourn said her plaza’s building manager has arranged for the drainage systems in the surrounding area to be cleared 

“He’s also organising to clear out our drainage system, even though they’re clear, just to keep things good. I think once the drainage systems are clear, it would have been able to kind of handle it, but because they were blocked, it just caused this whole other thing. We’re going to have to have sandbags as a precaution for next time,” Mrs Lightbourn added.

Both Ms Bethel and Mrs Lightbourn said the water made it close to their doors, but they are grateful it did not enter and damage any goods. Mrs Lightbourn said she knew she could not open her boutique considering cars could barely drive through the flood.

Ms Bethel explained that the Pinewood Gardens community had enough to deal with, noting that some people had damage to their homes and vehicles due to the flooding, and that opening an ice cream parlour did not seem practical or as important at that moment.