IN?THE?aftermath of Barbados being battering by torrential rain and high velocity winds, Prime Minister Freundel Stuart said that the adherence of building codes is a matter that still continues to engage the attention of Government.
?Speaking at a press briefing yesterday afternoon at District Emergency Management (DEM)?headquarters in Warrens hours after category 1 Hurricane Tomas left a trail of destruction throughout the island, resulting in major dislocation for hundreds of Barbadians.
Stuart acknowledged that the Government’s tink tank will have to come up with a way to ensure that more homes are secured.
The Prime Minister said that it was a matter that concerned him as “the most vulnerable people are usally the ones to get hurt the most.”
Stuart said that Government could not add to their vulnerability by “turning a blind eye to this challenge.”
The Prime Minister said that this country had now endured two back-to-back “horrible Saturdays” and after another painful tragedy following the passing of late Prime Minister David Thompson, on October 23.
He said that the Ministry of Home Affairs, along with the Minsitry of Housing and Town &?Country Planning, were all bent on wrestling this problem to the ground.
Stuart gave the all-clear at 2:22 p.m. after Tomas, inflicted heavy property damage in the wee hours of yesterday morning. He said the worse had past but not before roofs were blown off, trees uprooted, palings blown down, streets blocked, utility poles ripped apart and power services interrupted.
The Prime Minister said that this issue had been on the table for a long time, noting that long since the effects of Hurricane Lili in 2002, some residents of his St. Michael South, still had not had their “situation restored.”
Stuart said that St. George, St. Philip, St. Joseph, St. Michael, St. Joseph, St. Andrew and St. Lucy, were the hardest hit parishes in terms of roofs blown off, palings ripped away, down utility poles.
“We can expect rain at torrential levels for a little while must not ruled out the prospect of flooding,” he said, adding that normalcy will take a little time and patience is going to be required.
The Prime Minister said the DEM throughout the night and day had been putting corrective mechanisms in place wherever possible with a view to ensuring that the “inconvenienced caused to the citizens of Barbados is kept down to a minimum.”
Stuart said that reconstruction was going to take, mentioning that the Minsitry of Housing, Public Works, the Urban and Rural Development Commissions, constituency councils, constituency offices, a host of community minded persons, would help kick-start the reconstruction effort.
Stuart said he had been contact with the Minister of Environment, Water Resources and Drainage, Denis Lowe, and requested that he mobilise the resources in his ministry “in the event that we have to deal with flood condtiions beyond the ordinary.”
The Prime Minister said he was also in touch with Health Minister Donville Inniss and indications are that the situation at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital was under control.
