I HAVE A LOT I want to say about Tuesday’s rain. I was struggling to order my thoughts because I was in a rush to finish this article, so forgive me if I seem to be rambling.
1. Leadership
Where was the leadership the country needed on Tuesday when many were stranded, property destroyed, people displaced and citizens lost as to what to do or where to go?
The Prince’s arrival was important and had to be managed, but the horrible situation the public was experiencing was also important and needed to be managed also. Where were the ministers of environment and drainage, and transport and works? They may have been working behind the scenes but in times of crisis, leadership must be seen and heard.
I searched Nation News, Loop News, Barbados Today, the GIS website and the Department of Emergency Management’s (DEM) Facebook pages between Tuesday midday and yesterday morning, and there were no official statements from any of them as it related to the situation, the clean-up process or what’s next.
2. Central communication
During a time of crisis, communication and information are two of the most critical needs – ask disaster management professionals. Though some information was being shared by various organisations, disappointingly, there was no official central place the public could go to for up-to-date information on the situation.
As a result, people had to rely on Facebook and Whatsapp posts from friends and the media – this should not be. Neither the DEM’s Facebook page or the GIS website had any information on traffic diversion, road closures, bus service delays, accidents and so forth.
3. Capture ponds
It was stated on social media that about 14 billion gallons of rainwater fell on Tuesday. I cannot say with any certainty whether this figure is accurate but there was lots and lots and lots of water as seen by the amount of flooding.
The Minister of Water Resource Management complained two months ago about the lack of rainwater. The Lord heard his complaints and sent a bountiful supply of water, most of which went into the sea. What a waste of a natural resource. Nineteen of the 24 wells to capture water are located on the coast, but what about having capture ponds across the island to hold some of the run-off?
4. Bus terminal and bus stops
It broke my heart to see the large numbers of adults and children who were stranded at bus stops. Given that the vast majority of bus stops in Barbados probably have no form of shelter, those waiting would have been soaked.
Scores of people stood in the Fairchild Street Bus Terminal for hours hungry, wet, with little to no ventilation, no fans working, inadequate seating and little to no communication. When parents and the public contacted the terminal, they were told that the announcer had gone home so they could not get help. That should not have happened.
5. Public transportation
People talk about privatisation but it was the privately-owned ZRs and minibuses that abandoned those same people stranded at bus stops, leaving some clueless as to how they would get home. I want to publicly commend the Transport Board drivers and staff for not abandoning the public and working diligently throughout the night to assist the public.
They had their families to get to but they stayed and fulfilled their responsibility to the public. Imagine how people felt after running to board ZRs entering the van stand after standing in the rain, only to be told, “I ain’t going back up”. The public service vehicles may not have any responsibility to the public, but in times like Tuesday, we mustn’t think only about ourselves.
6. Lend a helping hand
Fortunately for me, I had borrowed my mum’s car and was able to help some who were stranded. On my way back from dropping off someone in St Philip, I stopped at the packed bus stop at the airport and offered anyone heading in my direction a ride. A woman, her child and a gentleman got in.
We must always be vigilant and careful, but during times of crisis, let’s be kind and lend a helping hand to others. We have a responsibility to care for each other.
• Corey Worrell, a former Commonwealth Youth Ambassador, is director of C2J Foundation Inc., a project-based NGO focusing on social development. Email: coreyworrell@gmail.com