Leaders of the Disaster Preparedness Committee declared yesterday that the island of Grand Bahama is ready to take on Hurricane Wilma.
At a special meeting attended by top-ranking police officials and Social Services representatives, Carnard Bethel, undersecretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, urged all persons to make all the necessary preparations now and not to wait for the last minute.
Mr. Bethel stressed that the Government has already been notified by the committee of all the basic things needed that must be provided now and those that must be given as soon as the storm passes.
Persons in need of shelter during the passing of Hurricane Wilma need not be concerned, he said, adding that there are a number of shelters available where they can seek refuge.
He advised those who know they have need of shelter to make preparations now to leave their homes as soon as instructed.
“As you know, people were pleased with the way we performed last year in our preparation and management of the shelters during the storm and with restoration efforts,” Mr. Bethel said. “However, we ourselves know that things did not work out as we would have wished be-cause we had never seen a catastrophe of that nature on Grand Bahama.
“We must this time learn from that, and make sure that our shelters are the best buildings and that they are not the buildings that we would have to evacuate during the storm. And, that we use better tactics to encourage people to leave their homes at reasonable times rather than calling out early in the morning putting our lives in jeopardy.
“If we could be more efficient in the management of the shelters, we can have better buildings to shelter ourselves in, and then we go into the distribution and relief if necessary, prioritizing urgent needs and repairs, and to ensure that immediate help is there.”
West GB Administrator Charles King said in anticipation that Hurricane Wilma will impact the Northern Bahamas, residents of Grand Bahama are urged to do the following:
* Place storm shutters on your homes.
* Remove all forms of debris from property.
* Fill your vehicles with fuel.
* Have alternate means of preparing food.
* Fill medical prescriptions.
* Secure personal documents such as passports, birth certificates, etc.
* Keep a small amount of cash on hand.
* Prepare a first-aid kit.
* Secure your pets as they will not be allowed in shelters.
“Should the storm become an imminent threat to this island, residents from East End to West End will be required to evacuate those communities,” Mr. King said. “Bus transportation will be provided to assist these areas. First priority will be given to the ill and elderly.”
He said persons who “must resort to the shelters should be setting aside sufficient foodstuff, drinking water, medication, clothing and personal documents for each family member.”
Mr. King added that all residents are required to stay tuned to their radio stations for regular updates and be prepared to move quickly at a moment’s notice.
“I think that our people should have their ears wide open because the storm is going to cross into the United States this weekend, so we will be making the announcements as early as tomorrow,” Mr. King said.
With concerns over the number of police officers and others who risked their lives saving others during last year’s hurricanes, Assistant Commissioner of Police Ellison Greenslade said that whatever instructions are issued on behalf of the Government need to be followed by Bahamian citizens in times of natural disasters.
“We are hoping that our citizens would be respectful, certainly will take personal responsibility for themselves, and follow the advisories that are issued,” Mr. Greenslade said. “We will simultaneously, once we feel the threat of a storm is imminent, have available an emergency operation centre that will be properly staffed as a sub-component of the Government Command Centre. I am satisfied that we are more than capable to discharge our duties efficiently and we simply need the support of our citizens, and if the advisories are followed, then we will be okay.”
ACP Greenslade said the island administrators have the full support of the Police Force who are prepared to assist the Govern-ment Command Centre. He said many discussions and preparations have already been made for such circumstances, and that residents of Grand Bahama need not panic as it is up to them to take instructions given.
At 5 p.m. yesterday, the centre of Hurricane Wilma was located near latitude 18.4N, longitude 85.5W or about 170 miles south southeast of cozumel, Mexico.
Wilma, a Category 4 hurricane had re-strengthened, and was moving toward the west-northwest at 7 m.p.h. Maximum sustained winds were near 145 m.p.h. with higher gusts.
Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 90 miles from the centre and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 260 miles.
Although Wilma continues on its west-nortwest heading, the ridging in the Gulf of Mexico which is preventing the system from heading on a more northerly course, is weakening and it is still expected that Wilma will turn to the northwest over the next 12 to 24 hours
The basic thinking has not changed, the ridge in the Gulf will continue to weaken and Wilma is expected to accelerate northeastward over the weekend.
As far as the threat to The Bahamas is concerned, the main focus of the threat remains over the northwestern islands and at this moment it is still too early to narrow that down any further.
Additionally, Wilma is now expected to spend enough time in the Yucatan that significant weakening is possible before it approaches the Western parts of South Florida.
By LISA S. KING, Freeport News Reporter
