EDITORIAL

We are fast approaching June 1 – the start of the Atlantic Hurricane Season – and while the experts are predicting a near-normal season this year we must not forget that just last Monday, more than a week before the official start of the season, Andrea, the first named storm was formed.

Now while Subtropical Storm Andrea dissipated just as quickly as she formed, the same thing happened in 2018 with Beryl, which formed on May 25; and in 2017 with Tropical Storm Arlene which formed in April, and in both of those cases there were major hurricanes those years that left much destruction in their wake. We within the Caribbean, in particular those on the islands of Barbuda, Dominica and Puerto Rico, well remember the massive destruction that Hurricanes Irma and Maria did.

This year it is predicted that there will be a range of nine to 15 named storms. Of those, five to eight could become hurricanes, including two to four major hurricanes. Indeed, we hope that Barbados will again be spared and pray too that none of our neighbours have to experience a catastrophic hurricane, for as islands there are already so many other factors that can wipe out the gains that we have achieved over the last several decades. Lest we forget that, we need only remember the untold damage that occurred in Dominica and Barbuda, where every single building was either damaged or destroyed and thousands were left without roofs over their heads.

That experience has no doubt reinforced for us that the Caribbean needs to up its game and work at making our islands as resilient as they can be. While we have no control over the hurricane season and certainly over the impacts of climate change on our nations, there are still things we can do to try our best to safeguard our properties. Chief among those is the introduction of a regional building code and not just getting it drafted, but ensuring that it is mandatory across the region.

This is not a new suggestion, having been touted by several regional leaders over the last few years, yet we have made no steps to secure it and ensure that the unique characteristics of the Caribbean, together with the best practices in the international building industry are put into practice.

The idea of that code, it is our considered opinion, must be embraced across this region as it could help to reduce fatalities, injuries as well as damage to property. If we safeguard our structures, then should a storm or hurricane hit, the possibility of withstanding the winds is even higher and rebuilding in its aftermath, that much faster to achieve.

Now a season can produce many storms, but have little or no impact because they fail to make landfall or do not pack much fury, and then one storm can cause unimaginable damage and claim many lives. Certainly it is our hope, as is no doubt the hope of the entire region, that no storms make landfall this year, but it is imperative that persons ensure that they are prepared in the event news breaks that a storm is approaching. We make that point as many of us in the Caribbean and certainly here in Barbados have a laid back attitude where the season is concerned.

Still too often, it is only when we hear that some storm is approaching that we rush to the supermarkets to stock up on water and dry and canned goods and perhaps to clear the gutters and drains. We encourage persons over the next few weeks to get into preparatory mode – trim
overhanging branches, check roofs and come up with plans to protect windows and doors from flying debris – these seemingly little steps can go a long way.