Valenzo Miller, a meteorological observer, suffered a fall yesterday at the Forecast Office while attempting to maneuver around the slippery floor, ceiling tiles and other debris following a rainstorm on Sunday, which left the already compromised office in an even worse state.
A week and a half after the "terrifying" ordeal of being evacuated from the Forecast Office at the peak of Hurricane Matthew, Velenzo Miller, a meteorological observer, was back in that office early yesterday, because it was the only way he could access critical equipment needed to provide important information to pilots before takeoff from Lynden Pindling International Airport.
Miller suffered a fall while attempting to maneuver around the slippery floor, ceiling tiles and other debris following a rainstorm on Sunday, which left the already compromised office in an even worse state.
Miller told The Nassau Guardian last night that because the aneroid barometer -- which is used to provide readings to pilots -- is situated at the Forecast Office, he went there for his final observation after 6 a.m.
"I was coming back downstairs to head over to NAD (Nassau Airport Development offices) and I was trying to navigate the water and all the ceiling tiles, so it was really mucky and slippery over there at the time and I started to slide," he said.
"I tried to catch myself, and going forward, my right knee hit on the tile and that's when I got injured."
To make matters worse, Miller's cell phone was dead. The office was empty and he needed immediate help.
"I had to literally hold on to the wall and the stair rail and hop back upstairs to call my forecaster who was over in the NAD building. The pain was basically almost unbearable and no one was inside that building (the Forecast Office). It's completely abandoned, so I could not shout for anybody. It was just me. I had to force myself [up], because that's the only way I could get help at the time."
Miller made it to a telephone and called Patricia Weeks, the forecaster on duty.
Weeks recalled what went through her mind when she got the call: "It was like oh lord, not Lenny. it was like our worst fear was realized, like it actually happened and it's like the nicest person it happened to. It actually happened.
"I just feel as if life, health and safety are more important than money in the world. Anyone can go in the media and say six more months to endure whatever; anyone can say we're working on this... but you are not working in there. All of us have families who are depending on us..."
Weeks called an ambulance, then called Basil Dean, deputy director in the Department of Meteorology. She rode in the ambulance with Miller.
"He (Dean) came up there to the Forecast Office, but none of them ever came to Doctors Hospital to find out the status of their employee on their job," she said, referring to department officials.
Forecasters have heard repeated promises from government officials and superiors in the Department of Meteorology that they will no longer be subjected to substandard working conditions.
In June, Glenys Hanna-Martin, the transport and aviation minister, told Parliament that by the end of August new facilities would be renovated.
But in October, when Hurricane Matthew struck, forecasters were still in the Forecast Office and had to be evacuated in winds roaring over 100 miles per hour.
Eventually they were back in the Forecast Office working.
After the building was impacted by Sunday's rainstorm, the forecasters went back to Nassau Airport Development company offices. They also had to go there during the evacuation in the hurricane.
But observations can only be done from the Forecast Office.
Director of the Department of Meteorology Trevor Basden explained yesterday that the hourly observations are important and the automatic weather observing station had not yet been disconnected at the Forecast Office.
"It is a rather complicated system of cabling in order to disconnect," Basden told The Guardian. "Remember, we had prolonged periods of rain and embedded thunderstorms [on Sunday] so obviously we could not disconnect, and it is so essential that we had to have it remain connected."
Basden was asked why the disconnection was not made after the forecasters had to be evacuated on October 6 in the middle of the hurricane.
"When the forecasters and observers were initially evacuated, it was because a pane of glass was broken in the Forecast Office, and it was during the time of some ferocious winds, winds of over 100 miles per hour and driving rain so they could not remain in the area... afterward, the area was cleaned up and made presentable again and work continued as usual... it was tidied up nicely," he said.
"What happened was on Sunday the prolonged period of rain and thunderstorms revealed that there were further compromises that were not observed at the time in the roof, so the rain came through and caused some of the ceiling tiles to fall, so therefore the area became flooded again and so they were again moved to the EOC (Emergency Operations Centre)."
Frustration
Expressing complete frustration, Weeks said she will not be going back in the Forecast Office for anything.
"They have no heart at all," she said, referring to superiors. "I have no respect for them. They have no love for people."
She said department heads are driving around in expensive vehicles paid for by taxpayers while staff members are being subjected to substandard conditions.
"You have a dump with people working in getting sick, a condemned building, but you are going to sign off on two $75,000 [Jeep] Wranglers to profile in. They do no work but profile. That is all they do. Then she is going to come on the news and say we are getting the radars next year. Why next year? You sign off on Jeeps... what's the hold up for next year? It is not the amount of money you have. It's how you use what you have."
Weeks did not call the minister's name, but she appeared to be referencing Hanna-Martin, who told The Tribune last week that a phased acquisition of new radars will not start until next year.
The four new radars will cost $20 million and will provide full meteorological coverage of the islands of The Bahamas, according to authorities.
Asked about her apparent frustration with the state of the Forecast Office and the fact that observers still had to work in there yesterday, Weeks said, "I am frustrated, yes I am.
"I am sick and frustrated, and I am tired of the focus that they have in that department.
"Their focus is on the wrong place. They are focusing on things that do not propel us forward to serve the Bahamian people better.
"Everyone that has technical know-how; that doesn't mean they should be monitoring people; everyone is not a leader."
Miller told The Guardian last night the whole situation went beyond physical hurt.
"I was there to witness the deterioration of the building when the window blew out [during the hurricane] and all the other stuff that happened with the fire truck having to pick me up during the hurricane, and then to come back and still try to perform my duty in the same place and end up being injured, it's really saddening and really hurts," said Miller, who added that met department staff had two options during the storm: Try to weather it while dodging falling ceiling tiles, or face the elements during an evacuation and hope for the best.
He was thankful for the firemen who risked their lives to save the staff that day.
"It was a terrifying experience," Miller said. "I'm glad I made it through."
He said yesterday he suffered a badly bruised patella with blood around the bone.
Up to last night, Miller said department heads had not called to check on him, but his coworkers in the Forecast Office expressed great concern.
"It makes you feel you are not valued," he said in response to a question from The Guardian.
"It has been almost 12 hours since my injury. I only heard negative stuff, like it was my fault... Right now, I'm just trying to get as comfortable as possible... but it is very depressing."
Candia Dames, Guardian Managing Editor
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