EDITORIAL: Be proactive
Barbadians are once again being reminded to get prepared for this hurricane season, and a crucial factor of which they must pay particular attention is communication with key stakeholders.
This advice comes on the heels of the “freak” weather event that occurred early Thursday morning as the island experienced a severe thunderstorm owing to the passage of a Tropical Wave. In the aftermath of the storm, 20 homes had been reported as damaged to the Department of Emergency Services and a roving disaster management team was called upon to clear downed trees and debris from affected areas across the island.
The consensus that the severity of the storm was an extraordinary occurrence is understandable, but while one can never truly predict weather events, forecasts give a fair outlook of what can be expected, and the Barbados Meteorological Services assures that a warning was placed on their social media outlets. “...Most of the time, we will actually issue a special message for the most part on our website or app that actually turns the alert level from green to yellow. And our message was up from yesterday [Wednesday] afternoon indicating the possibility of excess rainfall,” stated Dr. Sabu Best, Director of the Barbados MET during a press conference hours after the event. In addition to the official local weather source, at least one other weather website out of nearby Trinidad and Tobago carried information on the system. Furthermore, nearly three weeks ago, the public was reminded to prepare for storms as is done annually at the start of the hurricane season. Therefore, although the severity of the tropical wave may have been unexpected, “...it’s essential that we all, especially during hurricane season, be ready”.
And being ready involves doing an assessment of your homes and other properties and their environs, to ascertain and address any risks. Overgrown and rotten trees need to be trimmed or removed – especially those overhanging electricity wires – roofs need to be checked for potential leaks and roof straps used to help keep them secure. Also, at this time, shutters can be installed as a precaution or boards bought and stored for later use to avoid the last-minute rush. This warning is not only for homeowners, but for business owners, government and non-governmental organisations as well. It is not good enough to mobilise to do clean-ups after the fact, more emphasis must be placed on removing risks before the storm comes.
At present, with regard to hurricane preparations, there is excellent work being done by teams of the National Clean and Green Programme, whose crews clear and clean overgrown bush from roadways and low hanging branches from trees, especially in the area of the National Botanical Gardens. These were instrumental in removing the majority of the ash from public roadways, a feat which saved us all from the added headache of having to deal with heavy, wet ash after a downpour. Barbados Light and Power crews have also done some initial clearing of branches from near powerlines. However, these types of proactive approaches need to be more prevalent and widespread. To assist in this goal, all District Emergency Organisations (DEOs) need to rise to the same level of visibility of those few which are well known, like the St. James and St. John DEOs, and open up communication with those in the community. Too many Barbadians are still unaware of who to call, what services are provided and even how they can help at the community level.
In the meantime, all are urged to get equipped with the relevant warning tools, including a free app available for download from the Barbados MET’s website, which keeps you informed about any change in alert levels and “literally talks to you and tells you what is going on”. As we progress as a country, we need to keep abreast of the new methods of communication being used and play an active role in keeping ourselves informed.