September 15th, 2019, Freeport, Grand Bahama. The Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) is supporting Grand Bahama’s businesses and residents in the wake of Hurricane Dorian through its focused efforts on safely returning essential services to the Island.
GBPA Chairman Sarah St. George said, “Dorian attacked us with such force and devastation that it has taken days to grasp the tragic loss of human life and vast extent of damage to this lovely Island we are so proud to call our home. We mourn those who have lost their lives on Grand Bahama, pray for those who lost family members and friends, and we grieve for our close neighbors in Abaco.
“Though we have overcome many storms and many trials in our history,” St. George continued, “we have never experienced anything quite like Dorian with its massive tidal surge and catastrophic flooding. With God’s help, together with the help of the international community, we can get back on our feet quickly and courageously, as we have always done in the past. We owe nothing less to ourselves, to those who have gone before us, and to those yet to come.”
In practical terms, the GBPA is working very closely with the Grand Bahama Power Company (GBPC) to remediate our water resources so that water service may be restored Island-wide as soon as possible. The GBPA is also assessing flood and wind damage to businesses and homes across Grand Bahama to enable GBPC to safely restore power. We are coordinating with Sanitation Services and other GBPA licencees to remove debris to enable roads to be safely traversed. And we are coordinating with Freeport Harbour (FHC) and Grand Bahama Airport Company (GBAC) to open all points of entry to the Island to facilitate emergency services and relief.
Other significant initiatives undertaken by the GBPA include the establishment of a warehouse facility for storage and distribution of relief support, distribution of water filters to Grand Bahamians for use while water is not potable, and the creation of a makeshift airport processing facility at the GBPA’s offices.
Of the challenges currently faced by the Island’s communities, Mr. Ian Rolle, President of the GPBA Group, said, “We know how hard Grand Bahamians are working to recover from Dorian’s impacts, both at home and at work, and we want you to know that we’re making every effort to ready the Island’s basic resources to support you. The Port Authority team is deeply saddened by the storm’s devastating impacts on our communities, and our prayers are with those who suffered untold losses.”
The GBPA has responsibility for the water supply to all Grand Bahamians, and has oversight of other key services such as sanitation, the airports and international port, and the regulation of electricity services. They will continue to work, in partnership with the Government of the Bahamas and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), to support Grand Bahama’s residents and the business community as we recover from the impact of Hurricane Dorian.
###
