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MEETING WITH
GOVERNOR JEB
BUSH, GOVERNOR
OF FLORIDA
AND
THE HONOURABLE ALMA ADAMS,
CONSUL GENERAL OF THE BAHAMAS
ALONG
WITH CONSULS GENERAL OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC,
GRENADA, HAITI
AND
A REPRESENTATIVE FROM AMERICAS RELIEF EFFORT
MARBELLA
ROOM, THE BILTMORE HOTEL, CORAL GABLES
THURSDAY,
SEPTEMBER 23RD 2004
at 4:00
P.M.
GOVERNOR JEB BUSH, GOVERNOR OF
FLORIDA, DISTINGUISHED CONSULS GENERAL OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC,
GRENADA, HAITI, JAMAICA, THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE AMERICAS RELIEF
EFFORT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
I WISH YOU A PLEASANT GOOD AFTERNOON.
FIRSTLY, SIR, ON BEHALF OF THE HONOURABLE PRIME MINISTER PERRY
CHRISTIE AND THE PEOPLE OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE BAHAMAS, I SIMPLY
WISH TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE TO YOU FOR TAKING THE INITIATIVE TO MEET
WITH MY COLLEAGUES AND I FROM THE CARIBBEAN, WHOSE ISLAND HOMES HAVE
BEEN RAVISHED BY HURRICANES FRANCES, IVAN AND JEANNE.
SECONDLY,
I MUST ALSO EXTEND TO YOU OUR CONDOLENCES REGARDING THE DAMAGE AND
DEVASTATION EXPERIENCED IN FLORIDA, RESULTING IN GREAT LOST OF LIFE,
DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY, HOMES AND BUSINESSES, ESPECIALLY IN THE CITIES
OF PUNTA GORDA AND PENSACOLA, JUST TO NAME A FEW.
AGAINST SUCH BACKDROP, YOU ARE NOW INVITING MY COLLEAGUES AND I
TO ADVISE YOU CONCERNING THE IMPACT AND NEEDS OF OUR COUNTRIES,
RESULTING FROM THE PASSAGE OF THOSE HURRICANES.
PLEASE
ALSO BE ASSURED, THAT THE BAHAMIAN PEOPLE TODAY, SHARE WITH YOU THIS
MOMENT OF TRAGEDY AND THAT WE ARE ALWAYS COGNIZANT OF THE SPECIAL
KINSHIP WE ENJOY WITH FLORIDA, DUE TO THE VERY LARGE BAHAMIAN
POPULATION, RESIDENT IN MANY OF THE CITIES THROUGHOUT FLORIDA.
FURTHER,
I MUST THANK THE PEOPLE AND LEADERS IN THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY OF FLORIDA
WHO HAVE RESPONDED WITH GREAT GENEROSITY, BY WAY OF THEIR DONATIONS OF
MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS AND SHIPPING OF SUPPLIES, ESPECIALLY TO GRAND
BAHAMA.
MOST
NOTEWORTHY, IS THE EVENT OF FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 17TH, WHEN AT
DAWN, A FLOTILLA OF YACHT DEPARTED FROM COCONUT GROVE, EN ROUTE TO WEST
END, GRAND BAHAMA TO DELIVER NEEDED SUPPLIES TO THE RESIDENTS THERE.
I
WISH IT NOW TO BE NOTED THAT PRIME MINISTER PERRY CHRISTIE IN HIS
COMMUNICATION TO THE HONOURABLE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY, JUST THIS MORNING
ANNOUNCED THAT THE ESTIMATE DAMAGE INCURRED, RANGES FROM $125 MILLION TO
$200 MILLION.
IN RESPONSE TO YOUR QUESTION AS TO THE NEEDS OF THE BAHAMAS, THE
AFOREMENTIONED, ARE THE FIGURES TO WHICH WE NEED AN URGENT AND IMMEDIATE
RESPONSE. IT IS ALSO
IMPORTANT THAT THE POSITION OF THE BAHAMAS’ PLIGHT NOT BE ALLOWED TO
BE UNDER PLAYED, DUE TO THE FACT THAT WE WERE AMONG THE EARLIEST
HURRICANE VICTIMS OF THIS SEASON.
HOUSING
DAMAGES
THE PRIME MINISTER ALSO NOTED THAT THE GLOBAL FIGURES FOR THE
ENTIRE BAHAMAS ARE THAT 4,160 HOUSES SUFFERED MINOR DAMAGE BUT ARE
USABLE. ANOTHER 1,851
SUFFERED MAJOR DAMAGE (IN EXCESS OF $10,000 DAMAGE PER HOUSE) AND ARE
UNUSUABLE AND 671 HOUSES (IN EXCESS OF $110,000 PER HOUSE) WERE
DESTROYED. ALL IN ALL, SOME
6,682 HOUSES SUFFERED DAMAGE FROM THE HURRICANE.
THE SEVERITY OF WINDS AND SEA SURGES RESULTED IN THE WORSE DAMAGE
BEING DONE TO THE HOUSING SECTOR. AS
OF FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 17TH THE OFFICIAL GLOBAL ESTIMATE FOR
HOUSING ALONE, AS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY (NEMA),
IN THE CABINET OFFICE, WAS PLACED AT $99.5 MILLION.
IN ADDITION, TO THE AFOREMENTIONED FIGURES, THERE IS AN URGENT
NEED FOR BUILDING MATERIALS, PLYWOOD, RAFTERS, SHINGLES AND WOODEN
SIDINGS. THE T 1-11 MODEL
HOME STRUCTURES, WILL MORE ADEQUATELY RESPOND TO THE URGENT NEEDS, IN
THIS HOUSING CATEGORY, IN THE SHORT TERM.
THE
ESTIMATED DAMAGE BY ISLANDS COMPLETED BY THE MINISTRY OF WORKS AND
UTILITIES LISTED IN ORDER TO THE MAGNITUDE OF THE DAMAGE IS AS FOLLOWS:
GRAND
BAHAMA
$74 MILLION
NEW
PROVIDENCE
$19 MILLION
SAN
SALVADOR
$8 .5 MILLION
ELEUTHERA
$7.5 MILLION
ABACO
$5.5 MILLION
CAT
ISLAND
$2.6 MILLION
THE
BERRY ISLANDS
$1.6 MILLION
LONG
ISLAND
$1.25 MILLION
ANDROS
$1.15 MILLION
ACKLINS
$850 THOUSAND
RUM CAY
$225 THOUSAND
TOTAL $125 MILLION
MORE DETAILED ASSESSMENTS OF DAMAGE ARE ON GOING AND THE FULL
EXTEND OF DAMAGE TO PRIVATE HOMES AND PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE MAY WELL BE
IN THE REGION OF $200 MILLION.
I HAVE ATTACHED AN ADDENDUM OF A MORE DETAILED ASSESSMENT OF THE
FOREGOING, AS WELL AS THE OFFICIAL LISTING OF OTHER IMMEDIATE, BASIC
NEEDS FOR THE STRICKEN ISLANDS OF THE BAHAMAS, I.E. FOOD, WATER ETC,
FINALLY, THE GOVERNMENT OF THE BAHAMAS HAS ESTABLISHED THE
BAHAMAS HURRICANE RELIEF FUND TO WHICH MONETARY DONATIONS MAY BE SENT.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION KINDLY CONTACT US AT:
THE BAHAMAS CONSULATE GENERAL
25 S.E. AVENUE, SUITE 818
MIAMI, FLORIDA 33131
TELEPHONE: 305-373-6295
FAX: 305-373-6312
EMAIL: BCGMIA@BELLSOUTH.NET
EMERGENCY
REQUEST
I
HAVE JUST BEEN ADVISED BY THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY
(NEMA), THAT DUE TO THE REPORTED IMPENDING VISIT OF HURRICANE
JEANNE TO THE BAHAMAS, THERE IS PRESENTLY AN URGENT NEED FOR 500 SHEETS
OF TARPAULIN OR 200 ROLLS OF HEAVY DUTY PLASTIC.
GOVERNOR BUSH, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I THANK YOU
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