fp Turks and Caicos

Hurricane Irene’s 100 mph winds and torrential rains inflicted minor damage on the Turks and Caicos Islands, but it highlighted shortfalls in resources for emergency agencies.

“We have a resource problem,” Director of the National Emergency Operations Center Horatio Tuitt told the Consultative Forum on Sept. 12.

The command center on Grand Turk lost its standby generator and a telecommunications link at South Base and had to operate from the governor’s office, Tuitt said.

Most property damage was caused to poorly constructed roofs and by heavy flooding in low lying areas of Providenciales. While government workers used high capacity pumps to empty large flooded areas, the public made it tough by driving over hoses and breaking them, Tuitt said.

People also began driving around right after the storm, often blocking roadways for emergency personnel. He said the all clear was probably given too soon.

To remedy the shortage and damage to fogging machines to fight swarms of mosquitoes, government CEO Martin Stanley got $130,000 to buy six foggers and chemicals for health officials to treat the worst areas soon after the storm, he said.

Jamell Robinson, director of the Department of Disaster Management and Emergencies, made several recommendations to make the country better prepared for the next season:

• Create a priority list for installing and closing shutters on government buildings and shelters. Government employees should be assigned to close shutters on their offices to reduce the load on Engineering and Maintenance Services (EMS).
• If EMS is closed, as is being considered, money should be budgeted for others to perform their storm-related services.
• Each ministry and department should assign one or two people to work with emergency agencies.
• Government vehicles should be reissued to emergency personnel before a storm hits.
• More money needs to be spent on backup generators over the next 3-5 years, with most critical locations getting priority.
• Spanish and Creole translators need to be stationed at Radio Turks and Caicos so that all people can understand warnings and information issued by the government before and after storms.
• Some 40 drainage wells on Providenciales need to be redrilled at a cost of $4,500 each by private contractors. If money is not available, government needs to clean them.