Following heavy winds which flattened houses and tore off the roof of the primary school in Mahdia, Region Eight, the Director-General of the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) is calling for updated building codes and weather alerts.
Lieutenant Colonel Kester Craig said it is obvious that climate change is happening but the country needs to take precautionary measures to keep its citizens safe.
Speaking in an interview at the weekend, the CDC Head noted that an assessment needs to be conducted to find out why some buildings are unable to withstand the high winds.
“It is very obvious now that climate change is real where we will have intensified and frequent storms, increased rainfalls; it is not business as usual anymore.
“We have to start taking into consideration climate change and its impacts in every facet of our lives,” he said.
The CDC Head added that “particularly, when it comes to construction, we have to take into consideration that the building codes are enforced so that it can withstand certain winds.
“Maybe the building codes we are using currently will need some updating because we’re dealing with winds higher that we’re accustomed to.”
He added that the Hydromet office needs to also work on methods to inform residents in a timely manner of changes in the weather patterns.
A gust of high winds and heavy rainfall surprised the town of Mahdia on Friday at about 16:00hrs and caused damage to houses and other buildings, including the Mahdia Primary School.
The Director General visited the affected communities with Minister Ronald Bulkan and other officials to offer assistance to rebuild the affected structures.
Toshao of Campbelltown, Marbelle Thomas, explained that an internal assessment is being conducted in her community where homes were flattened. She said approximately seven homes were flattened during the storm.
“Zinc went off some buildings, some people kitchen things destroyed, some people bed and hammocks and everything, even clothing and documents get soaked with the rain,” she said.
The News Room reported that a pregnant woman, Clarice Ferrera, and her toddler were also injured during the ordeal and had to be transported to the Georgetown Public Hospital.
Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan stated that their conditions are stable and their injuries are not life threatening.
The Mahdia Primary School also suffered major damages.
