Residents have been cautioned against ignoring pleas by the local authorities to evacuate their homes when threatened by a natural disaster.

Speaking at a Disaster Preparedness Town Hall Meeting in Whitehouse, Westmoreland, on July 14, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, said this is especially important for residents living in flood-prone and disaster-risk areas, some of whom have been inclined in the past to ignore warnings.

“We are begging you to heed the evacuation warnings and to follow the bulletins closely,” Mr. McKenzie pleaded, adding that he knows there is a tendency in many flood-prone communities for persons to want “to sit it out and wait and see”.

“We don’t want you to be faced with a situation where it’s too late. We will provide the shelters and other assistance… . When they say evacuate… I am begging you to do so,” the Minister added.

Mr. McKenzie, in the meantime, said the Government is very concerned about the frequency of road accidents throughout the parish of Westmoreland, to the point where it has now been [forced] to include a response in its disaster-preparedness plans.

“We consider the spate of accidents on our roads a disaster, and we have incorporated that in our disaster response programme right across the country,” the Minister explained.

“I would like to urge those persons who use the motorcycle to get involved in the various programmes being undertaken by the Government,” Mr. McKenzie said, adding that various workshops and safety gear have been made available to motorcycle users, among other initiatives.

Mr. McKenzie said it is not only creating hardship for families, but it is costing the country an enormous amount of money for medical care in the public hospitals.

For his part, Deputy Superintendent of Police in the Westmoreland Division, Adrian Hamilton, said accidents could spiral further out of control if not addressed expeditiously.

“There have been 27 traffic fatalities in the parish, so far, this year, with 12 motorcyclists among those killed. We are still seeing risky behaviour, such as the removal of motorcycle mirrors and brazen disregard for the rules of the road,” he added.

“When we embark on traffic-enforcement initiatives, the main objective is to modify behaviour.

On average, over 450 tickets within Westmoreland are issued weekly; a significant percentage of that is for motorcycle drivers who don’t wear protective helmets,” Mr. Hamilton further noted.