NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Consistent electricity supply, theft, limited banking options, and a labour shortage remain among the day-to-day challenges of businesses and residents on the island of Abaco, a year after Hurricane Dorian ravaged the island before taking aim at Grand Bahama.
Hurricane Dorian made landfall on Abaco on September 1 and a day later hit Grand Bahama Island causing massive devastation and the deaths of at least 70 people. An Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) report estimated the total cost of the impacts of Hurricane Dorian on The Bahamas at $3.4 billion.
Lance Pinder, operations manager at the popular Abaco Big Bird told Eyewitness News that banking and access to cash was a daily issue.
“The power situation, theft and the limited banking options are all still very current day-to-day issues here on Abaco,” Pinder said.
“Just last week I didn’t even know how to pay my staff because of the banking situation. Getting cash is an issue. Day-day-life is still a challenge here. It’s better than a year ago but it’s still a challenge and COVID-19 has obviously made it worse.”
The poultry producer suffered major damage to its farm and only just resumed production in early August.
“We started producing chicken again the first week of August” Pinder continued.
“That was the first time since Dorian. People bought them up. We have to keep going. We had one barn and now we have two. We have had to do the construction ourselves because of the labour shortage here. Dorian has cost us over $2 million in lost income. COVID has caused us about $200,000 in lost sales,” said Pinder.
Dr Larry Carroll, owner of the Sandpiper, noted that contrary to belief, the monster storm did not completely devastate Abaco.
South Abaco was relatively unscathed by the storm, and Carroll’s small resort was one of a few hotels open on mainland Abaco to provide much needed accommodations.
“South Abaco was really spared from major damage,” he said.
“It was relatively unscathed. We were one of the only hotels open on Abaco mainland for people who came to work, NGOs and the like.”
His resort remained open until COVID-19 restrictions were enforced in March. He reopened July 1 when commercial travel was allowed to resume, but scrapped the idea a week later.
“The hopes of opening in October have been dashed,” said Carroll.
“COVID has brought everything to a dead stop now. BPL’s power issues caused problems for a very long time. We were getting power cuts six and seven times a day.”
For her part, Leslie Baptista, a Grand Bahama Chamber director told Eyewitness News the burden remains heavy one year after Dorian.
“For Grand Bahama, we are still in a very vulnerable position – in great need for a collaborative effort from the Government, the GBPA and every Grand Bahamian to move forward.
“We do not have a fully functioning hospital nor a proper airport. We still do not have potable water. Real unemployment numbers would make your head spin. All of this, one year later. This obviously has only been made so much worse by the COVID crisis. So many businesses were finally making headway – only to have been closed more or less since March.”
Baptista said: “What is it like surviving Dorian? I almost can’t tell you because we haven’t stopped since then to evaluate that. We have had no choice but to keep going. We are blessed – we are in business and have only lost a few months out of the past year. So while it has been crazy, we are so lucky because we have been able to keep going.”
She continued: “Like others, we had to rebuild our business from scratch since Dorian – new location, new systems and equipment. It hasn’t always been pretty. Like others, we have had to redevelop our business model three times in the last year – when time and supplies were all at alarmingly low levels. It’s all a blur.”
Baptista noted that the COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated the island’s woes.
“Just as some start to find their footing again,” she added.
“So imagine this for so many businesses – many have been closed for six to nine months (or more) of that 12-month period. Imagine surviving on a few months of business within a year? We cannot say enough how this has rocked every Grand Bahamian to their core.
“While the pandemic has plagued our nation since March, Grand Bahama and Abaco have been in a surreal state well before that. Grand Bahama… well, for far too long. It is tough. We almost forget how tough it is and how many businesses haven’t reopened, how many people have left the island.”
