September 7th, an unforgettable date in the history of the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI). Notwithstanding, there was no loss of life, Hurricanes Ike in 2008 and Irma in 2017 brought the chain of islands together to recover from nationwide devastation.
Declared ‘Disaster Areas,’ both the islands of Grand Turk and South Caicos were ravaged by Category 4 Hurricane Ike on September 7th, 2008. Ike was responsible for extensive damages to approximately 85% of physical infrastructure, with an estimated cost of USD6.3 million for reconstruction.
Still in recovery mode from the extensive devastation caused by Hurricane Irma last year, it is opportune that the people of the TCI reflect on the importance of being prepared, especially as we are currently in the peak of this Atlantic Hurricane Season. The TCI experienced the passage of two major hurricanes within a span of two weeks in 2017; Irma Category 5 (7th September) and Maria Category 3 (21st September). In addition to structural damages to critical infrastructure such as schools, hospital facilities and utilities, the emotional impact borne by our people highlights the need to become more resilient to disaster impacts.
As a nation, we remain committed to building capacity and resilience in communities across the chain of islands. Disaster Risk Reduction best practices have been reinforced in our Faith – Based, Community – Based and Non-Governmental Organizations. In fact, disaster resilience awareness continues to secure its spot on our school circulars. With climate change, gender and psychosocial centered approaches also being incorporated on the agenda of key stakeholders, the TCI is sure to maintain a solid state of preparedness.
The principles of Public Private Partnerships are also embedded in the TCI’s approach to building resilience. The TCI now serves as a sustainable model for response and early recovery within the Caribbean Region due to the existing relationships between the government and critical private sector agencies. Our experiences have also contributed to the forging of new relationships with the business community, as continuity of operations is also vital to our resilience.
Fulfilling the mandate as the national coordinating, promoting and monitoring body for Comprehensive Disaster Management (CDM) in the TCI, the Department of Disaster Management and Emergencies (DDME) can boast on improvements made as a result of the lessons learnt post impact. In addition, to building technical capacity within the Department, the National Disaster Management Plan and other key sectoral plans have either been reviewed or drafted, approximately 150 residents throughout the TCI were trained in Damage and Needs Assessments, Shelter Management and Community Emergency Response Teams operations during the months of August and September, 2018, an official Shelter List was published for all islands and public education campaigns were executed at the start of this year’s Atlantic Hurricane Season.
As we reflect on the past storms and look towards the future let us remember that the Turks and Caicos story of how we were able to rebound so quickly from such devastation is now a model for the world, and it was more than just cleaning up or reconstruction…it was our spirit! We were determined not to be out for the count. Let us all continue to play our part in building resilience in the Turks and Caicos Islands
