Talkback Friday

Question: Hurricane Ian brought heavy rainfall to Jamaica over the weekend and on Monday. Several areas were flooded. What do you think needs to be done to improve Jamaica’s preparedness for storms? Responses are from Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

“Engineer drainage systems and dams in the most severe areas. Engage in drain cleaning and expansion.” – @phillipsrulez

“Reorganise NWA.” – @AbiDontCare

“Clean the gullies and stop building on the hillsides.” – @daBull21171

“The Gov’t ought to ensure that the infrastructure of the county fit the purpose [to withstand] hurricanes. We have them almost every year.” – @Anthony66372214

“Every ting unda di sun! Clamp down on building in natural waterways, frequent drain cleaning and maintenance, river training, proper garbage collection system, clamp down on litter bugs. Parish council, NEPA and other state agencies [should] actually [be] doing their jobs! The list is endless.” – @jambritdds

“Take it seriously enough to prepare.” – @damello88

“Proper financing and planning at the municipal level. This will facilitate education, training and infrastructural work.” – @jamaicanscouser

“Learning to swim.” – @monthendfridays

“The infrasture needs to be updated. Even a lot of the roads are outdated; there aren’t sidewalks, you are walking in the gutter or [on the] road. There are so many other examples; and it’s a hot mess which is long overdue for improvement, and it’s not that they don’t know about it.” – @ladyoftheisles22

“Better warning suh man nuh buy up bag a food fi ntn.” – @man_from_di_east

“Put in place proper drainage systems. JPS needs to go around, especially in rural communities, and cut trees and branches along electrical lines. Save a lot of money to assist people who are impacted.” – @rennisremiro54

“Jamaica should never have a water problem with the amount of rainfall we have. Build a dam that generates electricity. Stop wasting all this great amount of water. Poor workmanship by engineers when building drains. We need wider drains that are not so easily blocked. Proper garbage collection is the answer to littering.” – @buen.o432

“If the drains are not cleared, then what you think would happen? They need additional water wells! What else is new with this place? Nothing gets done.” – @monkeyhead1210

“People need to stop dumping in gullies and throw garbage on the streets. Some of us are really oblivious to what goes on in this country. Teach people to listen to news bulletins and to take them serious. Some Jamaicans don’t even listen to radio or watch local television.” – @rohanjacques

“Drain cleaning, river training, drainage construction or expansion, building more organised communities and overall better infrastructure. You can’t be building so much apartment and na improve the infrastructure; where do you think the water will go?” – @saberinafrancis

“A ban should be placed on constructing houses on riverbanks or on areas that have land slippages.” – L’Chocolate Moses

“Residents must come together and help in keeping their surrounding clean; and put a ban on all plastic bottles, they played a major role in flooding and blocking of drains.” – Bridgette Davis

“Clean your surroundings. Cut down trees.” – Jacqulyn Rowe