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Volume: 112 No.211
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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2016
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WORDS OF WISDOM GURU’S BAHAMAS EXPERIENCE - SEE WOMAN
PM wants law on evacuations
GIBSON: TEAMS ARE ON THE GROUND IN GRAND BAHAMA By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
HURRICANE Matthew Czar and Labour Minister Shane Gibson said government teams are on the ground in Grand Bahama, one of the islands hardest hit by the category four storm, hoping to soon restore normalcy to the devastated area. SEE PAGE SIX
‘Changes needed’ to state of emergency declaration
By SANCHESKA DORSETT Tribune Staff Reporter sdorsett@tribunemedia.net AS A result of the “horrific” and “life-endangering experiences” during the passage of Hurricane Matthew, Prime Minister Perry Christie said the government would enact legislation to force people to evacuate their homes and communities during major hurricanes. Mr Christie also said the government will empower the Prime Minister, the Commissioner of Police and the Commodore of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force with the ability to declare a state of emergency. Currently only the head of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) can make such a declaration - a responsibility Mr Christie said is “too great” for one person. At NEMA’s headquarters on Sunday night, Mr Christie said too many people decided to stay at home and protect their property as Hurricane Matthew pummelled the Bahamas. This move, he said, not only put their lives at risk, but also the lives of rescue service personnel. On Tuesday, Commissioner of Police Ellison Greenslade and NEMA officials “strongly advised” residents in low-lying areas and on coastal roads to evacuate and contact their local district administra-
CLEAN-UP crews in action at Harbour Bay Shopping Plaza yesterday, tackling the damage left by Hurricane Matthew. Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff ple elected, maybe with require people to evacuate situations the normal way.” tor or the NEMA office Mr Christie also said ‘NEMA has to to make arrangements for good reasons, to protect certain areas. We see the their homes,” Mr Christie provision in the law in the NEMA has to be “strength- be strengthened relocation to a hurricane shelter before the onset of said. “I thought at the time United States. We know it is ened significantly” because considerably and so the tropical storm force the Commissioner went in the law here but we need the aftermath of Hurricane winds by 11pm on Wednes- to great lengths to even to ensure that it is in place Matthew is “too enormous we are mandated to frighten people into the because people risk their for the current structure of incorporate a larger day. NEMA”. However, on Friday, reality that they were fac- lives in going out. team immediately “The Commissioner can He added: “I am also Commissioner Greenslade ing by telling them some of said nearly 500 people had them will have to go in the tell a story about when he firmly convinced that (de- because we cannot to be rescued from their loft for protection. That, and his colleague went out claring a state of emer- wait on the normal homes in eastern and south- in fact, happened and by to rescue persons and when gency) is too great a re- way in doing things ern New Providence as saying they would have they got out they had some sponsibility for the director flood waters began to rise to punch their way to the concerns about their safety of NEMA to exercise by and getting out there roof. and whether they had gone himself and the Prime Min- to people who are more than four feet. “We now know as a result too far. As a result of my ister of the country, the suffering.’ “Now I say this, notwithstanding the warning that of this experience that we determination, The BahaSEE PAGE SEVEN Prime Minister Perry Christie they were given, many peo- have to be in a position to mas cannot approach these
POWER BACK ON IN MORE NEARLY 5,000 SOUGHT SHELTER ACROSS NATION THAN HALF OF HOMES
1956-2016 Scotiabank is celebrating its Diamond Anniversary, 60 years in The Bahamas!
By SANCHESKA DORSETT Tribune Staff Reporter sdorsett@tribunemedia.net NEARLY 5,000 people either went voluntarily or were evacuated to shelters throughout The Bahamas during the passage of Hurricane Matthew, according to Director of Social Services Melanie Zonicle. Of that number, Ms Zonicle said there are at least 100 residents that “require
long-term accommodations”. At a press conference at the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Sunday night, Ms Zonicle said there is a “dire need” for water, ice and tar paper especially in North Andros and Grand Bahama. She described the passage of Matthew as devastating. SEE PAGE SIX
By KHRISNA VIRGIL Deputy Chief Reporter kvirgil@tribunemedia.net BAHAMAS Power and Light Ltd (BPL) has restored electricity to just over 50 per cent of its customers in New Providence and has “substantially completed restoration” in the Family Islands, however officials said last night that given the level of damage from Hurricane Matthew they are un-
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able to give an exact date for full restoration. However most customers are expected to have power supply by the end of the week. “BPL has substantially completed restoration in most of the Family Islands with the exception of North and Central Andros where the company’s infrastructure was severely impacted,” the company said in a SEE PAGE SIX