Before the 1990's automakers made of heavy and durable metals with the intention of saving lives in an accident. The premise was a stronger vehicle would protect the driver and passengers inside the vehicle. But traffic fatalities did not decrease . Then technology suggested making 'softer' vehicles with crush zones. Cars virtually disintegrate on impact . But with the addition of airbags and other safety devices passengers are left fairly safe and unharmed. The point is with the massive devastation and destruction of recent hurricanes , the loss of human life has been minimal.. The key to more hurricane resistant buildings and structures may not necessarily be stronger construction but buildings that are more dynamic to resist high winds. Powerful hurricanes seem to be laden with tornadoes and even the US cannot seem to build tornado resistant structures. For certain a small room with mostly inner walls and now windows seem to be most resistant next to underground structures. Only problem is the flooding that accompanies hurricanes.

Ragged Island can be made back into the strategic and busy port it once was and stimulate the growth and expansion of the Southern Bahamas. Not disagreeing with Prime Minnis at all for offering the people relief from the hurricane stricken island but it must be rebuilt. The situation shouldn't be like a New Orleans where persons were 'evacuated ' and sent all over the US to strange places. Some were never returned and others came back only to find that their properties were taken by the government or otherwise taken over. Because their documents were lost in the hurricane they had no claim or no funds to prove their claim so they were left out in the cold.

Do who the caps fits@banker.

"Luke 21:10-13English Standard Version (ESV)

Jesus Foretells Wars and Persecution
10 Then he said to them, *“Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. 12 But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake. 13 This will be your opportunity to bear witness."*

Someone asked me what i would do if i was a resident of Ragged Island and ordered to evacuate. It was a question that need thought and foresight. When you look at what is happening in the US and Canada with the uncontrollable forest fires that consume homes and disrupt lifestyles from time to time. And of late the fires are more frequent and the duration much longer. Harvey destroyed Houston and they are going to rebuild. Katia hit Mexico just after an earthquake shook that country to pieces, Tampa got a storm for the first time in 100 years. In fact the entire Florida peninsula has been disrupted by one storm event. Atlanta Georgia has been given a storm warning for the first time in history. Then to the south of us many islands and island nations were near completely destroyed, The Turks and Cacios islands, Puerto Rico, The Virgin Islands, Antigua and Barbadua, parts of Haiti and Dominican Republic and even more devastation in Cuba. Bimini was ran-shacked, and West End, Abaco, Long Islands hit numerous times by various hurricanes. Then there is the threat of North Korea setting off nuclear bombs and The US responding in kind, if not more deadly. Times are not normal. No where on this planet. And when we start to call in the hens and huddle together in the corner of the room (Bahamas), we make ourselves more vulnerable, more likely for extinction. After all that, I think to rebuild.
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"Psalm 27:13-14New International Version (NIV)

13 ***I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord***."

While it is a good idea to fill the need for parking spaces downtown, The Property Fund must be in sync with what is going to happen to downtown itself. For patrons of stores and businesses downtown do not want to be walking a block or two from where they intend to shop. So unless the venture, by virtue of moving other static vehicles off Bay Street and freeing up more parking, the parking facility will not appeal to them. Also if the future plans and intention includes night life ,the facility must be well secure and in close proximity to these areas unless there will also be a planned, safe and reliable trolley service. Then also it would be better to plan a mix use bulding, similar to what is at The Pointe, rather than one great, big massive (none estethic) , concrete structure. That would be better.

When you see what's going on with weather and climate around the world fires in California and the North West, Harvey in Texas, Irma destroying parts of the Caribbean and the Bahamas as well of Cuba, then potentially extensive damage to Florida and other parts of the US, hurricane and earthquake in Mexico and Jose about to hit Barbadua and Antigua again does the suggestion to permanently depopulate and abandon the Southern islands of the Bahamas really make sense?

Hurricane Jose has now strengthened to Category 4 and is posed to hit some of the Islands already hit by Irma. Jose is then expected to move back out to sea where further strengthening is expected. This storm doesn't currently pose a threat to the Bahamas.

With Irma targeting the entire state of Florida with the potential to cause massive devastation then move to do more damage on the upper East coast of the United States , the US government is saying they may not have sufficient funds to deal with these disasters. Matters may be made even worse as Jose seems posed to hit the Carolinas within a week of Irma. Fortunately Jose does not presently haveThe Bahamas in its path

Fortunately there won't be much material damage in most of the Bahamas. But there are still so many houses and other structures that haven't been repaired since the passage of hurricane Mathew. The major reason being shortage of funds. Increases in prices will delay these repairs even more. People may choose to wait until prices go back down.

It will not get much worse in New Providence and on any islands East of New Providence. However South and Central Andros and West End and parts of Abaco will get Hurricane strength winds, rain and surge