EDITORIAL - Prepare, don't panic

In the aftermath of Tropical Storm Nicole, Jamaicans must now understand that it does not take a full-blooded hurricane to disrupt our lives and deliver damage to life and property. The message from the Nicole experience is that we must prepare for the expected fury of a downgraded Tomas.

More than a dozen people perished when Nicole pelted the island with rain and winds recently, and many have expressed the view that these deaths could have been avoided if the nation had been mobilised with a sense of urgency in preparation for that weather system. The best way to reduce disruption and suffering from a disaster is to be aware of the potential impact and plan for it.

There are always those who feel impervious to the wrath of Mother Nature. Those are the people who scoff at weather warnings, believing that no harm will come to them. People of this mindset also believe that if something bad happens, the government will take care of them.

Quick response

This is not always true. When disasters strike, it could take a very long time for the emergency responders to get to a community, and this may mean the difference between life and death. A state of preparedness and ability to respond quickly can mitigate loss of life and human suffering in a disaster.

This is why we welcome the Jamaica House meeting of emergency and response agencies under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Bruce Golding. The mere fact that the agencies have been called together by the prime minister is enough to send a signal to the entire nation that everyone needs to start preparations. It is not a reason to panic; it is time to prepare.

The truth is that even though we live in a region that is vulnerable to hurricanes and earthquakes, we do not have a culture of preparedness and prevention. We never seem sufficiently prepared. This includes businesses. Every business should have a well-developed disaster plan which takes into account employee safety, protection of plant and equipment and how to get back up and running after a disaster has passed. All of this is vital to the healing of a community in the wake of a disaster.

Share the blame

Our government must share blame for the haphazard urbanisation of the nation's capital which has resulted in scores of people living in unsafe dwellings on gully banks and river courses. Natural disasters are often made worse by man-made disasters. Successive governments have turned a blind eye to these developments and as was recently acknowledged by Kingston Mayor Desmond McKenzie, politicians have given indulgence to these squatter settlements in order to get votes.

There are enough reasons for people who live in flood-prone and other vulnerable areas to be nervous because they are least equipped to deal with a disaster. And this is why pre-emptive measures such as evacuation ought to be encouraged by the government working in tandem with the disaster agencies.

Once and for all, we need to mitigate the negative practices of the past and begin to develop sustainable communities and environmentally friendly areas by reversing the culture of squatting.

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