EDITORIAL: Disaster preparedness essential

NOW that we are officially into the start of this year’s hurricane
season, Barbadians need to be reminded that from this month of June
down to November, should be the time where we focus not only on
hurricanes alone, but on natural hazards and disasters in general.

Barbadians often wait until they hear that a weather system is
approaching the island to run around frantically to purchase hurricane
supplies. However, this year, we are in the midst of the COVID-19
pandemic and hence, we as Barbadians need a plan in hand to ensure
that we are adequately prepared for whatever Mother Nature may throw
at us.

Reports are that federal forecasters at the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have predicted that as many as 19
named storms would form, of which as many as 10 will be hurricanes and
this is just one of many forecasts that predict an unusually busy
season in 2020. A climate scientist has meanwhile described the
intersection of the pandemic with the hurricane season as
unprecedented and unfortunate, whilst the SmarterSafe Coalition has
noted that, “The combination of an ongoing pandemic and what NOAA has
forecast to be a busy hurricane season is a cataclysmic scenario.”

For what it’s worth, the Hurricane Season is a time when we should all
be focusing on disaster preparedness on a whole. During this time, we
should take into account that we can experience all kinds of
disasters, not just hurricanes. For instance, when a bad weather
system approaches the island, we can at times get flash flooding and
strong winds. The damage that can result, can set us back somewhat as
communities are affected and persons displaced. So we cannot only
think of a strong hurricane as the only weather event that can pose a
threat to life and limb.

In the past, it has been advised that Caribbean countries set in place
comprehensive disaster management policies and plans, as well as
adequate allocations in their budgets for disaster management and
recovery, to reduce their vulnerabilities to natural hazards, since
they continue to have a significant impact on the economies of small
island states.

Given the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and the toll on our
economies at present, it may be hard to place monies aside for such
comprehensive disaster management initiatives. The focus now is on
opening back up places of business to allow the economy to catch
itself and hopefully rebound, given that some sectors have taken a
hard hit. Yet, we must see the need to still put systems in place to
ensure that we do not fall to our knees if a disaster or two does
strike us. The outcome of any disaster could be catastrophic, as it
could set us even further back than we are at present.

On the household side, given that an earthquake, tsunami, flood or
hurricane can give us a surprise at any time, it behooves us as
citizens to give greater thought to disaster preparedness on a whole,
so we can be better prepared if some natural hazard does decide to
visit Barbados in 2020.