Hurricane Beryl has proven to Barbadians that the island is just as exposed and vulnerable to these severe weather systems as the other islands in the region.
Furthermore, it may very well be time to abandon the adage that June is “too soon”. Were we to take the traditional presentation of hurricanes over the years, the months of September and October are viewed as the more active months for systems that make their way through the island chain.
Beryl has stunned not only armchair weather experts but professionals who have been tracking these weather events. Beryl went from a tropical depression to a major hurricane in just 42 hours.
To the shock of most Barbadians who have become accustomed to threatening storms developing into hurricanes after they have passed the island, Beryl defied the hopes and expectations.
To the credit of many citizens, they heeded the warnings to be prepared for the worst and those who felt their homes were compromised to seek the safety of designated hurricane shelters near them. We have been informed that more than 400 people responded to that latter advice.
The hurricane is now on its way through the region after inflicting considerable damage to nearby Grenada and the sister island of Carriacou and may pose a threat to Jamaica on its present track.
Barbados’ first brush with a dangerous hurricane in the current season has given the entire population much to consider.
One of the most important and unanswered questions following the impact of this hurricane relates to the capability of Barbados’ housing and infrastructure to withstand a direct hit by a Category 2 or 3 hurricane.
Admittedly, new homeowners are placing greater emphasis on building in resiliency to severe weather in new constructions. This is being highlighted in the increased number of concrete roof structures.
Though the traditionalists baulk at what they describe as cold, architecturally bland concrete boxes, the local general insurance companies offer discounted rates on these buildings due to their much higher resistance to damage during hurricanes.
Another controversial matter to which there must be national reconciliation is the issue of coastal development.
The destruction which Hurricane Beryl inflicted was concentrated more on the coastlines. The fishing communities at Oistins, Bridgetown and Six Men’s have been devastated.
As one member of the fishing community outlined, boat owners, many of whom took their vessels from Oistins to the Bridgetown Fishing Complex in search of safe harbour, have suffered millions of dollars in damage to their investments. It has been reported also that more than 25 boats sank during the dangerous sea swells.
Pleasure boat operators were also not spared as the Jolly Roger and Dreamchaser were among those that sank.
It is expected that the government will be asked to assist those in the fishing community. Of course, those homeowners whose houses were also impacted by the dangerous weather will be looking to the State for help in the rebuilding process.
In the case of boat owners and homeowners, there is an elephant in the room that has to be confronted. Accessibility to insurance coverage is not an issue, though the cost may be a factor. Some residents of Florida, United States are fighting for access to hurricane and flood coverage as insurance companies are withdrawing this type of cover in that state.
Just this week, officials of the local insurance industry lamented the very low level of home insurance coverage in Barbados and the implications for recovery if the island was impacted by a major hurricane.
If a sizeable percentage of homeowners are not in a position to rebuild following a weather event or other natural disaster, it will impact recovery of the entire economy.
Government and economic planners, at some point, will have to determine that rather than spend millions of dollars each year rebuilding damaged homes that were probably poorly constructed in the first place, they could use some of those public funds to help underwrite insurance coverage for homes under a certain value.
Government could also consider allowing homeowners to claim home insurance as a tax deductible on their annual income tax returns.
The State should also use its power to enforce the national building code to improve the resilience of homes to disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes.
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