PM to tour Family Island communities ravaged by Irene

Sat, Aug 27th 2011, 11:12 AM

Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham this morning began a tour of Family Island communities ravaged by Hurricane Irene, as relief efforts continue throughout the country.  Ingraham, who spoke during a national address last night, said he will tour Grand Cay, Abaco; Green Turtle Cay, Abaco; central Abaco, Cat Island, Exuma, Inagua and a number of the other affected islands in the southern Bahamas including Acklins and Crooked Island.

The prime minister said he expects to be in the southern Bahamas for two or more days.
Assessment teams comprising Cabinet ministers and public officers will be dispatched to all affected communities as of today, said the prime minister, who noted that the first team will go to Cat Island and in addition to ministers, will include representatives from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Department of Social Services, the Ministry of Public Works, the Ministry of Health, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the Water and Sewerage Corporation, the Bahamas Electricity Corporation, the Bahamas Telecommunications Company, the Bahamas National Geographic Information System (BNGIS) Unit, the Department of Meteorology and members of the Royal Bahamas Police and Defence Forces.

Ingraham said a second aircraft, scheduled to depart this morning, will transport three RBDF officers with supplies of food, blankets, sheets, pots and tarps to Cat Island, Acklins and Crooked Island, which were particularly hard hit by the storm.

Prime Minister Ingraham also said that the Caribbean Development Bank yesterday made a $200,000 emergency relief grant available to the country, and additional soft loans if required.
Ingraham said 1,016 people sought refuge at hurricane shelters throughout the country during the storm: 156 in New Providence and 860 throughout the Family Islands.

The shelters on New Providence are now all closed, the prime minister noted.  Ingraham also gave updates on several of the country's key national service providers.  As for damage throughout the country as a result of Irene, Ingraham said preliminary indications are that serious structural damage was sustained by government offices, clinics, schools, police stations, and other infrastructure facilities.

He said serious damage was also done to public docks in Coopers Town and Moores Island, Abaco and in George Town, Exuma.  Private dwellings and businesses in some Family Islands including Acklins, Crooked Island, Cat Island, Mayaguana, Exuma and some communities in Abaco were also damaged.

"Most other island communities have reported varying degrees of damage to private homes, businesses, farms, fishing boats and churches," Ingraham said.  "Roofs of homes and other buildings sustained damage in Mayaguana, Rum Cay, San Salvador, Cat Island, Long Island, Eleuthera, Spanish Wells and Harbour Island, Exuma, Abaco, Grand Bahama and New Providence.

"Thankfully, Grand Bahama, which bore the brunt of the hurricanes impacting our country in 2004 [and] 2005, was spared the worse of the impact of Hurricane Irene.  Reports indicate that while the eastern end of the island was harder hit than other parts, much of the island received minimal impact from the storm's passing."

Ingraham added that there was no damage to either of the oil storage and transshipment terminals on Grand Bahama and minimal damage to some of the hotels on that island due to storm surges and debris.  He said assessments are being made in respect of other developments throughout the Family Islands.

Ingraham said he was advised that there was some damage done to hotels and beachfronts on Exuma, and some hotel properties on New Providence and Paradise Island experienced minor landscaping and other damage.  He said assessments are being made in respect of other developments through out the Family Islands.

According to the prime minister, there were also reports of flooding on Cat Island, Exuma, Mayaguana, San Salvador, South Eleuthera, north Long Island, Freeport at Queen's Cove, Fishing Hole Road and West End, Grand Bahama, Rum Cay, Murphy Town, Abaco, and in low lying areas of New Providence, in particular at Lady Slipper Avenue off Soldier Road and at Trinidad Avenue in Elizabeth Estates.

He said contractors engaged to blow wells and clear drains were mobilized yesterday and were expected to complete their work by today.  The prime minister said that reaction teams from the Ministry of Public Works, the Department of Environmental Health Services (DEHS), the Bahamas Electricity Corporation, and the police and defence forces moved expeditiously to clear main public thoroughfares in New Providence, even before the "all clear" was given by the Department of Meteorology.

He said the DEHS mobilized 20 garbage trucks on New Providence in advance of the hurricane to collect household garbage.  An additional 12 independent truckers were also engaged to collect bulk waste throughout the island of New Providence.  "I am advised that the team re-mobilized at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday providing assistance to road clearing exercises," he said.

  "The team also responded to individual calls where the roofs of homes were damaged as a result of trees falling.  [On Friday] 40 teams were mobilized to continue clearing the main road arteries in Fox Hill, Bain and Grants Town, Kennedy, Malcolm Road and in the city."  Ingraham said most of the clearing work would be completed by the end of the day, though some debris removal of debris will continue until Monday.

The prime minister said the Department of Civil Aviation opened the airports on Inagua; Mayaguana (for small aircraft only); Marsh Harbour and Treasure Cay, Abaco; Deadman's Cay, Long Island; Eleuthera; New Bight, Cat Island; San Salvador; Crooked Island; Acklins; Exuma and Ragged Island.

"Bahamasair has advised that it resumed flights to Marsh Harbour, Abaco; San Salvador, Long Island and Exuma today.  Tomorrow, flights will resume to Acklins, Crooked Island, Governor's Harbour, Eleuthera and Freeport, Grand Bahama," he said.  "Bahamasair informs that it will resume flights to other islands in The Bahamas as airports are cleared for operation by the Department of Civil Aviation," he said.

He said there was no damage done to Water and Sewerage Corporation operations on New Providence.  However, consumers are asked to conserve water as the supply will be limited for the next three to seven days.  "I am advised that on the Family Islands water operations remained operable except on a few islands.  Interrupted supplies on Inagua are being remedied though I am advised that this will take some two to three days due to mechanical issues," he said.

"Remedies for interrupted water supplies in North and South Eleuthera are being pursued, however, North Eleuthera's supply is affected by the closure of the Glass Window Bridge.
"Supplies will be restored to Mayaguana and Crooked Island with the use of generators.  Assessments are still being made with respect to water supplies for Acklins and Crooked Island."

The prime minister also said that the Ministry of Health has given every assurance that all community health clinics around the country have adequate supplies of medications and that they will continue to be properly and adequately supplied in the weeks and months ahead.  While the prime minister was thankful that there was no serious injury or loss of life reported as a result of Irene, he believes the economy could suffer because of the impact of the storm.

"Our economy is still recovering from the impact of the global economic crisis," the prime minister said.  "It is likely that we will experience some setback as a result of Irene's passage, but we are also mindful that things could have been much worse.  We will continue to be focused on creating every opportunity for greater economic recovery, with particular emphasis on job creation.  We will continue to provide social support where necessary, so that those most affected can receive the relief they need."

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