Take the necessary steps to ensure safety, PM tells residents

Prime Minister Mia Mottley has again urged Barbadians to take the necessary steps to ensure their safety as Hurricane Beryl barrels towards Barbados. 

In a national address, she repeated the 8 p.m. position of the Category 4 hurricane, circulating ominously in the Atlantic some 200 miles southeast of Barbados. On its current path, it is still expected to pass 80 miles to the south of the country early Monday morning.

“The hurricane force winds are Category 4 winds at 130 miles per hour, making it a very dangerous hurricane, but we do believe that Barbados will not get the breadth of the hurricane force winds. It seems at this stage that we will definitely get tropical storm winds. They have indicated 40 to 60 miles per hour and the possibility of gusts going to hurricane force,” the prime minister said in her address, stressing the need for vigilance. This is despite the forecast indicating that the brunt of the hurricane might pass south of Barbados. 

Mottley was keen to highlight the potential dangers that even tropical storm conditions could pose. “We expect, therefore, that the system will affect us, but we give thanks that we do not believe that it will be the worst of the hurricane force winds, but it is still strong tropical storm winds, and we’ve seen what tropical storms have done to us in the past, both in terms of loss of property, loss of roofs, and loss of other infrastructure. They do not necessarily expect more than three inches of rain, but the problem is that there is the potential for flash flooding as a result of intense rain in specific places. I do want to say that people should not be lulled into a false sense of security because of the absence of rain.”

Emphasising the importance of staying indoors, she said, “We don’t get notice when a gust may come, and I want to urge Barbadians to stay inside. There is no reason for anybody to be on the road now unless they’re an essential worker, and even then, there’s going to be a point when the essential workers cannot be on the road as well. So, I’d like us, please, to take heed and not put at risk anyone else’s life because of anybody’s curiosity or desire to go outside.”

The prime minister also urged a collective effort to care for the vulnerable. “There has to be a sensitivity to take care of those who are not accustomed to this kind of thing. Panic without even action coming from the hurricane can be damaging, and therefore, more than anything else, I want us to have calm assurance and to do the things that we know that we must do to keep ourselves safe and to ensure that people at the same time send up prayers to pray for the best, but continue to prepare for the worst. 

“The reason why I’m saying this is because during the afternoon, and you may have heard [Director of the Barbados Meteorological Services, Sabu Best] talk about the issue of wobbling, if the system wobbles to the right effectively to the north, Barbados can be more affected … there is still the possibility that the system can move.”

Mottley explained: “What happened this evening as well is that the system slowed down. I think yesterday we were looking at the system moving at 22–23 miles per hour. It’s now moving at 18 miles per hour. At the same time, I understand that there is a process happening now where the ‘eye’ wall is undergoing a replacement cycle, and that probably means that the intensification of the hurricane will be halted at this point in time, which is good news ultimately, not just for Barbados, but for our neighbours because we really certainly don’t want to see it going to be a catastrophic hurricane.”

Currently, 33 Category 1 shelters on the island have opened their doors at 6 p.m. on Sunday and have already started accepting people seeking shelter. Mottley said, “I can report to you, having just taken a report from the Chief Shelter Warden, that the 33 shelters are shuttered and are open, and people are still coming into them. We urge people who want to go there, please go as soon as possible. There are a couple of hundred people who are already in shelters.”

In her address, the prime minister detailed the steps that were being taken to ensure the continuity of utilities during the storm. “The Barbados Light and Power Company has indicated that they are happy that they can keep their system open. They have put measures in place to manage the network throughout the passage of the hurricane and to maintain the safety and continuity of the system for as long as possible. Their protection systems are designed to automatically trip any circuits that may be impacted by the hurricane, and they have teams in the control centres throughout the night monitoring all systems.”

But Mottley acknowledged the challenges faced by the Barbados Water Authority in ensuring a continued water supply during the hurricane. 

“There is a difference from the Barbados Water Authority. I want to apologise for any late notice that was given by the Water Authority. Regrettably, the reality is that if they don’t shut down the pumping stations, it is likely that the pumps as well as the circuitry in the facilities can be seriously affected. They have advised that if they don’t do that and the pumps are destroyed, especially now with the difficulty in supply chains, it can take from weeks to months to get back pumps, which would mean that those districts would be without water for weeks to months. None of us want that. I’m sorry that the notice came so late.”

She further explained the logistical difficulties involved. “The other difficulty I’m told is that there are over 40 stations that they have to go to, both pumping stations and boosting stations, and they have to go to each one physically in order to be able to shut it down. That also means that the workers will also be at risk, and they too need to get off the road, certainly no later than 11.30.”