Minister of Home Affairs Edmund Hinkson is putting Barbadians on early notice to prepare for the hurricane season, which starts next month.
Hinkson said in a message this evening that the country was now in unprecedented times in terms of its preparation.
“But we all have a duty to ensure that our personal property and our environs and our immediate surroundings are as clear as possible from debris and secure as possible in the event of adverse weather conditions,” the Minister said.
“We all need to ensure that our properties are clear of bush as possible and our drains are clear,” he added.
He noted that the hardware stores will reopen again from Monday to sell building equipment and supplies, which can be used to repair homes requiring such work.
“Those who are financially able, must ensure that their houses are as comprehensively insured as far as possible from the event of adverse weather conditions. We are of course fully aware that a lot of people are under severe economic pressure now, with the loss of jobs within the last two months as a result of COVID-19,” the Cabinet Minister stated.
Hinkson promised that the Government would work with residents to ensure they are safe and secure during the coming hurricane season.
He recalled that in December last year, the Government employed 360 people to clean up the country of debris, hazardous materials and bush.
He also noted that over the last two years, his administration has sought to buttress the resilience of residents to hurricanes and to adverse weather conditions and to reduce the risks of disasters here.
“We have increased the generational capacity at our utility companies, for instance. We have improved on the water storage capacity of key institutions and ensure that these institutions have at least five days’ supply of water in the event of water being cut off,” Hinkson pointed out.
“We have made provision for food to be stored in areas in Barbados, which unfortunately could be cut off from the rest of the country in the event of very severe weather conditions. We have purchased equipment and vehicles, which were much needed and which will be used in partnership with private sector entities in any rescue mission post-disaster,” he recalled.
The Home Affairs Minister also reminded Barbadians that improvements have been made to hurricane shelters and shutters will be placed on them once they are activated for that purpose.
“We have increased the number of hurricane shelters and we plan to increase them even more because of course, with social distancing, not as many people would be allowed to go into hurricane shelters that would have gone in last year,” Hinkson revealed.
He said Government has now improved on the functionality of the District Emergency Organizations (DEO), which has allowed it to more easily identify the most vulnerable in communities who would be more susceptible to disasters both pre and post hurricanes.
“And I wish to use this opportunity to call on all able bodied persons in our country who are not members of the District Emergency Organization with the communities and constituencies in which they live, to join these organizations and participate in their programmes and their projects,” said the Parliamentary Representative for St James North.
He said this is a national give-back programme operated by volunteers and that the country needs all hands on deck now more than ever in preparation for a six month hurricane season in a COVID-19 environment.
“We are in this together as a nation…the Government and people together. The Government of Barbados will ensure that you are as safe as possible in the event of a disaster, even as we spend millions and millions of unplanned dollars to fight the enemy health pandemic, which now confronts us and which we will defeat,” the Home Affairs Minister declared. (EJ)
Read our ePaper. Fast. Factual. Free
Sign up and stay up to date with Barbados’ FREE latest news.
Source link
