Still unprepared for a direct hit

THE EDITOR: Hurricane Irma completely destroyed Barbuda’s way of life and according to reports the island is uninhabitable for the first time in 300 years.

An entire civilisation that existed for a few centuries has been extinguished by Irma, which highlights the fact that nature is no respecter of people. We are all at risk.

We have witnessed what nature can do to us and we must begin to take hurricane preparedness more seriously in TT in this age of climate change. We are still ill equipped to deal with a direct hit from a hurricane as the construction industry here has not yet evolved to withstand the threat of severe winds that accompany a hurricane. The constant and never ending degradation of wetlands by developers creates the conditions that lead to severe flooding and there is an urgent need for a dramatic change in policy and projects geared to saving this nation from such. Short term financial gain seems to be the priority in the minds of contractors at the expense of thinking about the future of TT.

It is my hope that the devastation in Barbuda serves as a wake-up call to all of us here and that we change our focus from making a quick dollar and instead be more concerned about the consequences of our short-term thinking.

CHELSEA BEDASE WRIGHT, Chaguanas