Yahneake Sterling and
Gareth Manning, Staff Reporters 
PEART AND CARBY
LESS THAN two weeks before the start of what meteorologists forecast to be a busy hurricane season on June 1, disaster management officials say adequate resources are in place to cope with any eventuality.
Local Government and Environment Minister Dean Peart says his ministry is 85 per cent ready to tackle possible disasters. He points to drain-cleaning exercises taking place across the country, as well as the training of parish managers and mayors to deal with emergencies arising from natural disasters.
The Environment Minister discloses that $50 million has been allocated to the disaster fund to deal with pending catastrophes. This is in addition to $22 million that stood in the fund up to January this year. This is a vast improvement over what has been allocated to the fund in the past.
Last year, Dr. Barbara Carby, director general of the Office of Disaster Prepare-dness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), disclosed that Government had not allocated money to the fund on a timely basis. She said since Hurricane Gilbert in 1988, when the fund was created, money was only put in it once.
NOT CRITICAL
But Minister Peart says the fund is not critical, stating that money for disaster management is usually claimed from the Ministry of Finance. "We usually spend what we have first and then claim it back from the ministry," he tells The Sunday Gleaner.
In addition, the ministry is to be allocated $200 million for road repairs and disaster mitigation. This is to be provided out of a $3 billion fund announced by Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller during her recent Budget presentation. The balance of these resources is to be utilised by the Ministry of Housing, Water, Transport and Works for construction of retaining walls, road rehabilitation, rehabilitation of the airport road and for flood control.
Last year, hurricanes 'Dennis' and 'Emily' ravaged the country, leaving $5.98 billion in damage. In 2004, the impact of category four Hurricane Ivan, totalled $36.9 billion. It is not clear what Government spent entirely for emergency management last year, but data from the ODPEM show that that office alone spent a total of $18.15 million to assist victims of hurricanes Ivan, Dennis and Emily. This figure does not include emergency supplies drawn from their storehouses.
HOUSES FOR HURRICANE VICTIMS
Minister Peart advises that houses for victims of hurricanes Dennis and Emily last year and Ivan in 2004, are to be ready by next month. These will benefit affected households in Portland Cottage, Clarendon, and Old Harbour, St. Catherine, who were left homeless by the raging hurricanes.
Commenting on the readiness of the ODPEM to cope with the upcoming hurricane season, Dr. Carby said the agency is "strong in the area of human resources, due to the level of training and experience the staff now has." She adds, "We have our procedures and systems well laid out and documented."
Dr. Carby also notes that some systems used by the ODPEM will be web-enabled. "This is for those persons who are a part of our network. Wherever they are, they can log on and access information regarding emergency rescue and other emergency management," she explains.
She says the initiative is islandwide and includes the National Works Agency and several ministries.
This is in addition to the implementation of a "radio communication system" that will allow for continued communication between staff conducting emergency management tasks.
