The government has borrowed $150 million to help pay for the damage caused by Hurricane Matthew. The storm hit the northwestern Bahamas at the beginning of October 2016. A year before Hurricane Joaquin hit the central and southern Bahamas. It is estimated that the storms caused $800 million in damage.
Bahamians had to be rescued during these storms. Homes were leveled; utility poles brought down; neighborhoods flooded. Brave Royal Bahamas Police Force officers and Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) officers came to the aid of the distressed. In the immediate aftermath of Matthew, for example, police rescued 500 people on New Providence.
The Bahamas must analyze what it did well and what it did not in preparation for, and in response to, these storms. After Joaquin, the country had to rent helicopters to transport aid and people. In Matthew and Joaquin, our officials had to fly around in U.S. government helicopters to make assessments. To our knowledge, the government of The Bahamas does not own a helicopter. And if it does, we've never seen it.
In Matthew, once the category four force winds subsided, the government had to send out a message begging individuals who owed heavy equipment capable of riding through floodwater to come to police stations to help transport officers to rescue those trapped in homes by the surge. The government does not own large amphibious vehicles capable of such efforts.
The Bahamas is not wealthy, and there is much to rebuild and many people to help. As an independent country, however, we must still find the resources to purchase the assets needed to mount basic rescue efforts. A nation-state should not be begging for trucks to rescue people when every second is of the essence in saving lives. Our leaders should not think it acceptable to fly around in American choppers every time there is a natural disaster. We have a friendly relationship with the U.S. now, but what if that relationship changes and the U.S. says no to such a request? What would we do? Would we get on the phone and keep begging world leaders until one comes to our aid? What if no heavy equipment owners came forward? Would the rescues have taken place?
The government has spent $200 million to upgrade the RBDF fleet. It should now do an assessment to determine how much it would cost to add helicopters and amphibious vehicles. We may only be able to afford a few at a time in these hard times, but if that is the case, the strategy should be to build capacity over time.
It is the responsibility of the government of The Bahamas to protect its people. We must move away from the mindset that the Americans or British or whomever will be there to save us when natural disasters strike. Joaquin and Matthew were bad, but worse could be out there this hurricane season or next. Having better rescue assets would save lives and allow the state to bring relief to its people faster and in a more coordinated manner.

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