Michael Abrahams | We need unity

Melissa, one of the strongest tropical cyclones on record, struck the island as a Category 5 hurricane, causing widespread devastation in Western Jamaica. In the island’s record-keeping history, Jamaica had never before taken a direct hit from a Category 4 or 5 storm.

The destruction is immeasurable, and the death toll continues to rise. Fortunately, many Jamaicans at home and in the diaspora, as well as people from other countries, have responded by donating money, sending food and supplies, and going into the affected communities to assist survivors.

However, it is unfortunate that some of us have concentrated our energy on exhibiting tribal behaviour. For instance, political leaders and governments are easy targets to blame when things go wrong. However, I have never heard of a country’s leader being blamed for creating a natural disaster, until now. There are people who not only believe the hurricane was man-made, but also that Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness was responsible for its genesis and for guiding it to hit St Elizabeth, so it can wipe out most of the parish for him to be able to build the Smart City he had previously spoken about establishing there as part of his Vision 2030 Jamaica plan.

The degree of the ludicrosity of this accusation rivals the degree of the intensity of Melissa. First, there is no evidence that we have the technology to concoct a hurricane. Second, even if we did generate one, there is no way we can manipulate a massive and extraordinarily powerful system like that and steer it in the direction we want it to go. For instance, according to a 2012 research paper, a hurricane of Melissa’s magnitude can release an enormous amount of energy, equivalent to 250 times the world’s average electrical energy production.

QUICK TO RESPOND

Our Government has been quick to respond, immediately launching a website, supportjamaica.gov.jm, through which money can be donated to help those in need. The prime minister himself has been on the ground in several areas and has been consistent in his communication with us. For instance, since the hurricane departed our shores, there have been over 80 posts on his Instagram page. The Government has also been holding press briefings, posting updates, and organising for food and other supplies to be sent to survivors.

However, there was an occasion when, in my opinion, the prime minister’s behaviour appeared tribal. The day after the hurricane, he posted a video on his social media pages captioned, “Today I’m doing an aerial tour of our worst-affected parishes.” Later, there were more videos on his pages showing aerial views of St Elizabeth, as well as him on the ground in that parish and in St James. Interestingly, not only were there no aerial views of Westmoreland, but the parish was not even mentioned, despite the fact that, according to the Meteorological Service of Jamaica (Met Service), The Weather Channel, AccuWeather and other sources, Melissa made landfall near New Hope, located in Eastern Westmoreland, decimating that region of the parish. Landfall is the most hazardous phase of a hurricane, where the most damage typically occurs, hence the significance of its location.

When I visit Long Mountain in St Andrew, even below its peak altitude of 1,366 feet, and I look to the west, I can see four parishes: Kingston, St Andrew, St Catherine and Clarendon. Long Mountain is way farther from Clarendon than Black River is from Eastern Westmoreland. Helicopters give you a panoramic view. So, if you are in a helicopter (which usually flies above the altitude of Long Mountain) over Black River, you can see Westmoreland.

For me, the issue is not about landing there. I just found it odd that there was no aerial footage or even a mention of that parish, considering the fact that landfall occurred there. Westmoreland has historically been a People’s National Party (PNP) parish and is totally orange, leading many to surmise that political bias may have been at play.

UNABLE TO LAND

At a press briefing the following day, Information Minister Dr Dana Morris Dixon said that Dr Holness had planned to visit Westmoreland, Hanover and Trelawny on the tour, but was unable to land because “sometimes the helicopter could not land because of the devastation”, and that he would attempt to tour them that day. I find that hard to believe. First, Westmoreland is an area of 311 square miles, and I do not believe that there was nowhere there where a helicopter could land. Second, if you announce that you are embarking on an aerial tour of the “worst-affected areas”, and you claim you were unable to land, it means you flew over there in an attempt to do so and saw the devastation. So why not share the footage or even mention the name of the devastated parish?

Opposition Leader Mark Golding landed in Westmoreland three days after the hurricane, and one day after the prime minister visited there. It is alleged that Mr Golding requested permission to be taken in a Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) helicopter to visit affected areas, but the request was denied. So, he eventually flew there in a private helicopter, although I do wonder if he could not have done this from day one.

The divide between the governing party and the Opposition is painfully apparent. The prime minister has formed committees and subcommittees to handle issues related to the hurricane, but has omitted members of the Opposition. When he embarks on his tours, I have never seen him with a PNP member of parliament in their constituency. In fact, since the hurricane, I have not seen any members of the PNP and any members of the Jamaica Labour Party in a photograph together.

When Cayman Premier André M. Ebanks visited the island after the hurricane to pledge financial support, accompanying him in his delegation was Opposition Leader Joey Hew. This is the type of maturity we need in our politics.

Michael Abrahams is an obstetrician and gynaecologist, social commentator, and human-rights advocate. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and michabe_1999@hotmail.com, or follow him on X , formerly Twitter, @mikeyabrahams