Promising dry run

RURAL DEVELOPMENT and Local Government Minister Faris Al-Rawi this week took no chances in relation to an adverse weather forecast, and should be commended for doing so.

Mr Al-Rawi was the public face of Cabinet’s proactive charge to get the country ready for any eventuality, in light of the understood trajectory of a potential tropical cyclone. While it was not a virtual certainty that this system would develop into a full-fledged tropical storm, there was a high (90 per cent) probability of it doing so.

In any event, we know enough about this country’s susceptibility to even ordinary precipitation events to justify the taking of pre-emptive measures.

While there has been much cynicism on social media and elsewhere about the eventual impact of potential tropical cyclone two (PTC2), and while it has once again resulted in many people resorting to the declaration that “God is a Trini,” the underlying reality is that climate change has introduced an element of uncertainty in disaster preparations that we have not had to grapple with before.

Not only should Mr Al-Rawi and the Cabinet be commended for taking the steps they did, but the country as a whole should be proud of the way many people from different backgrounds came together to brace for any potential impact.

In a rare show of non-partisan co-operation across political lines, acting Prime Minister Colm Imbert, for instance, reached out to THA Chief Secretary Farley Augustine, and there was a degree of collaboration as both islands prepared shelters and activated disaster response measures.

There were also scenes of many people coming together to distribute sandbags so that low-lying communities would at least be able to use such tools to help protect their property, given the likelihood of flooding. Mr Al-Rawi was correct when, earlier this week, he declared there had never been such scenes in this country before.

Of course, there was the perennial complaint, raised by some UNC local government officials, about funding levels. But such complaints in the past have not proven demonstrably true, though an argument could be made in relation to the paucity of funding levels generally across all sectors of the State.

It was all the first real test of Mr Al-Rawi’s mettle in his new capacity since being appointed to the portfolio back in March.

Back then, this appointment was largely regarded as a demotion. It is evident the San Fernando West MP is intent on proving otherwise. Indeed, he may have persuaded many by effectively drawing on his own experience as an alderman this week.

We commend all who took this week’s warnings seriously, as they should always be taken. And we express the hope that the unity displayed as we faced the prospect of a terrifying storm continues to reign in other areas where co-operation is required most.