By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Staff Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

POINTING to the unpredictability of weather systems, Pinewood MP Khaalis Rolle defended the National Emergency Management Agency’s response to last week’s flooding in the capital.

Mr Rolle, Minister of State for Finance, maintained that the government was “happy” with NEMA’s response to the severe weather and said that the government would commit available resources to assist water-logged communities.

“We can’t blame anyone for what nature has given us and unfortunate for Pinewood there is a flooding system that has existed for many, many years and there isn’t much we can do about that in the short term,” Mr Rolle said. “We have to plan a long term solution, which is also a very expensive solution, which is why no member of parliament has been able to solve this problem.

He added: “It’s a national problem that we have to deal with when we have issues like this. We are very constrained from a budgetary perspective but whatever is available we are going to commit to all the areas that have been affected.”

NEMA director Stephen Russell also deflected criticisms during an official damage assessment in Pinewood Friday, adding that the agency is moving to improve systemic alert procedures.

Underscoring the critical need for early warning sirens, Captain Russell explained that the disaster management agency was working to improve the timeliness of information received from the Meteorological office and its public dissemination.

“I heard the comments and I draw what I could out of those comments with a view of how we could improve the agency,” said Captain Russell. “So in terms of the politics, I’m not overly concerned.”

“If we get an advisement from the Met Department, it comes into NEMA through either fax or e-mail and we have to track down the information, then BIS will get it to media houses. By the time I get it from the Met Department and she gets it to send out, that’s 15 to 20 minutes, almost an half hour passing,” he said.

“My concern,” said Capt Russell, “is that once information gets to (media houses), how soon do they pick it up to respond to it or address the country to broadcast it. So we’re trying to improve that link.”

Captain Russell said that the agency is also working on upgrading cellphone systems to allow for alert notifications to be sent to its entire database.

Provisions have been made to implement early warning sirens in New Providence and several Family Islands, according to Captain Russell, who said the system was installed in Grand Bahama after a 2010 tornado led to the death of three people.

“These are systems,” he said, “that we need to have on hand, just a press of the button at any time day or night we can alert the community that something is happening.

“Over a six to 12-hour period, we had over 15 inches of rain over the eastern section. Persons went to bed just expecting normal rain storm but they couldn’t imagine waking up in three feet of water.”

The first weather advisory was sent at noon on Tuesday, with severe weather warnings sent by the Meteorological Department at 3:15pm, 6pm, 7:15pm, 9:15pm and 11:45pm. Rain started to fall at 3:07pm and a light storm started at 6:21pm. The heavy thunderstorm started at 7:14pm.

In Pinewood last week, some residents admitted that they did not take severe weather notifications seriously.

Willmena George, a Pinewood resident for 19 years, said she heard the weather warnings on the radio but underestimated the severity of the storm.

Ms George said: “When I woke up at midnight the house was filled with water. My last boy had to get up and turn the breaker off. I listened to (warnings) but I didn’t focus that it was coming. I was surprised that night when I jump out the bed to go to the bathroom, I had to jump back in the bed because I didn’t want to get shocked.

“The water,” she continued, “just come in and just mess up the stuff. I cry but ain’t nothing I could do. I thank God for life. At first, we was wasting time drying up because the water in the road was so high every time we bale out, a truck come through all the water come rushing right back into the house.”

Over the 24-hour period, 4:35 inches of rainfall was recorded across New Providence. Records show that between 1981 and 2010 an average 4.54 inches was recorded for May. So far this May, 5.74 inches has been recorded – making it a record figure.

“We don’t control the elements,” Mr Rolle added, “and no matter how much preparations you put in preparing for this, you don’t know what’s going to happen. The response mechanism has to kick in, but that is a process that you have to go through and the process is assessing what the damage is and assessing what people will need. You can’t provide a blanket that will deal with every single issue.”