Thursday, 19 September 2013 16:08

FROM THE OFFICE OF THE SHADOW MINISTER OF PUBLIC WORKS

HON. NEKO GRANT, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR CENTRAL GRAND BAHAMA

A comprehensive investigation into Tuesday’s tornado is needed

The issuance of the Met Office alert and the timing of the tornadic activities raises more questions about procedures

After all the scorn and derision heaped on the FNM Government in 2010 for not providing the people of Grand Bahama with sufficient advance notice of an oncoming weather event, the PLP Government has a lot of explaining to do about why they provided almost NO advance warning of the most recent tornado. They are learning once again that it is far easier for them to run their mouths than it is for them to run a government. Just as they did with crime, the PLP made the occurrence of an uncontrollable natural disaster a political event. Blame the FNM. Now it is their turn to explain how they can stop Mother Nature.

In August 2012, a report in one of the daily newspapers noted that Minister of Transport, Glenys Hanna-Martin announced that the government would re-establish a meteorological office on Grand Bahama Island to guard against a repeat of the circumstances that lead to the death of three people on that island in 2010. According to the Minister, “the Bahamas Meteorological Department is setting up a unit in Grand Bahama in an effort to keep Bahamians informed about weather developments and provide sufficient warning ahead of natural disasters.”

Before the deadly tornado in 2010, the PLP accused the FNM government of closing the GB Met office. They ignored the fact that the Office was in fact maintained by the GB Port Authority. The FNM government accepted the closure and planned to utilize the alert systems available in New Providence to serve the GB community. The FNM Government received scathing criticisms from the PLP for not being able to properly warn Grand Bahama residents of forthcoming weather dangers. Consequently, the PLP blamed the FNM for the Tornado that hit Grand Bahama resulting in the tragedy at the Container Port. They argued that the presence of a Met office on GBI was critical to early warning systems. The PLP conveniently ignored the fact that that same GB office was WIDE OPEN when they were in office and the Deputy Prime Minister Cynthia Pratt was almost killed at a Ginn function. Selective memory is their style and no one should be surprised.

The PLP promised to reopen that satellite office and they have done so.

That was Grand Bahama in 2010. The latest major tornado occurred in New Providence this past Tuesday. According to press reports, officials of the Nassau Meteorological Office issued a severe weather warning for New Providence, North Andros and their adjacent waters around 2:30 p.m. Residents were warned to be alert and ready for possible tornadic activity and to remain indoors.

The facts surrounding the event are unclear and a full investigation is warranted.

Reports are that after the alert was issued at 2:30 p.m., the system formed around 2:45 p.m.—a mere fifteen minutes of advance notice. Given the presence of the Met Office right here on New Providence, the Minister of Transport and Aviation needs to explain to the Bahamian people what went wrong and why so little notice was given.

There are several other important procedural questions that the Minister must answerer:

1. At what time was the actual alert issued?

2. Were proper procedures followed in the evacuation of the Ait traffic controllers’ tower?

3. Were all airlines at LPIA advised of the impending weather event? If so, how were they advised?

4. When the system descended on the LPIA, air traffic controllers were still in the tower. That seems highly irregular. Were proper procedures followed?

5. When the air traffic controllers evacuated the tower, were there flights in the process of landing or take off?

It is also important for the Minister to clarify whether or not LPIA was closed before or after the tornado touched down. Answers to the foregoing questions will help determine whether it was immediately after the warning from the Met Office.

END

Photo: NEKO GRANT

This tornado touched down about 2:45 pm (Tue 17) EST. It pushed an airplane into a building, crumpling the wing and then at the general aviation terminal it flipped 3 airplanes over. From Weather Underground

To watch video of the tornado go to: http://iwitness.weather.com/_Tornado-Nassau-The-Bahamas/video/1849762/148597.html