Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

After Dorian, could we be next?

When Hurricane Dorian struck the Bahamas last month as a destructive Category 5 storm that lingered for three days killing more than 50 people and leaving thousands homeless, the first reaction of Cayman Islands residents was to come to the aid of a stricken neighbour in need

Donations flooded into the Red Cross, the police helicopter was dispatched to join the relief effort, and Premier Alden McLaughlin flew to Nassau with a planeload of medical supplies donated by Cayman’s hospitals.

Now as the dust settles and Abaco and Grand Bahama begin the long road to recovery, another reaction is starting to surface: Fear.

The onslaught of disastrous storms to hit the region in the last few years aligns with the hypothesis of climate scientists that warming oceans are likely to fuel more destructive hurricanes.

Caymanians who lived through Hurricane Ivan might have thought they had faced the worst that nature had to offer and lived to tell the tale. But, from the news reports, the accounts of the Cayman police pilots who flew into Abaco and from the premier who met with his Bahamian counterpart in the early days of the relief effort, Dorian was many times worse than anything they had seen before. Worse than Maria, worse than Irma, worse even than Ivan.

McLaughlin acknowledges that part of the reason Cayman has been so quick to help its neighbours in the aftermath of recent disasters is the sobering knowledge that one day we could be the ones in need of help.

“I think there is little question anymore that climate change is a huge factor in the intensity of these cyclones,” he said.

But he has faith that Cayman is prepared to withstand a storm, even of the magnitude of Dorian.

“Cayman is much more resilient now than it was before Ivan. We built back much stronger,” McLaughlin said.

Governor Martyn Roper, who oversees the UK’s support to Cayman on natural disasters, said he was extremely conscious of the growing threat that climate change poses to the islands. Though Cayman can only make a small impact in terms of reducing the carbon emissions fuelling the changes in the weather, he believes a greater focus on bracing for its impacts may be necessary.

“Hurricane Dorian devastating the Bahamas recently brings home the stark reality of the effect of severe weather,” the governor said. “I believe we do need to give more thought to climate change mitigation and ensure we are factoring this into wider policy making and economic planning.”

How is Cayman preparing?

At Hazard Management Cayman Islands, Director Danielle Coleman’s job is to prepare for the worst-case scenario.

While Dorian may have been a wake-up call for some, she said, the possibility of a similar strength storm striking Cayman was on the radar of emergency planners.

The 2019 Hurricane Exercise – essentially a dress rehearsal for the emergency response teams involved in disaster management – considered a hurricane scenario that resulted in significantly greater impact than experienced during Ivan.

“A hurricane similar to Dorian should be something everyone in the region is prepared for,” Coleman said.

“The message we reinforce to the public is that Hurricane Ivan is not the worst-case scenario we could face in the Cayman Islands.”

Some of the steps taken since Ivan to improve Cayman’s resilience include changes to planning regulations to ensure critical buildings are constructed to withstand winds of 150 miles per hour. Vital road infrastructure has also received greater protection through the construction of sea walls and the increased elevation of new roads.

Shelter availability and training for volunteers has improved, but space remains an issue. The completion of the new John Gray High School and construction of a new shelter at the Church of God in Bodden Town will add capacity. Space for animals has also been created at two shelters to help ensure people don’t put themselves at risk to protect their pets.

More recently, radio communications equipment was upgraded and Hazard Management has invested in a new radio-interrupt system to broadcast emergency messages quickly. A project to expand that technology to smartphones is under consideration.

Coral reefs

Cayman’s Department of Environment is at the forefront of investigating the likely impacts of climate change, with deputy director Tim Austin warning that the issue is not simply stronger storms.

The weakening of coral reefs around the island is impacting Cayman’s first line of defence against storms, Austin explained.

He said reefs formed a natural barrier against storm surge, as evidenced during Hurricane Ivan when coastal properties were harder hit in areas without offshore reefs.

“The more stress coral reefs come under, the less healthy and less resilient they become and, therefore, less able to mitigate surge during a tropical cyclone event,” said Austin.

He said the planned expansion of Cayman’s marine parks would help protect this safety net.
The designated marine park zones will also help guard against overfishing and other man-made threats that have weakened Cayman’s reef system over the past decades.

“Cayman’s ‘no take’ zones for marine life will increase from 14% to 48% of total coastal areas on all three islands once the new marine parks areas take effect,” Austin said.

“This will place Cayman as a leader within the region on Marine Protected Areas and may encourage others to follow the example.”

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
×