The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMIANS travelling to Atlanta were being asked by friends and relatives to bring some bread with them as the second wintry storm in two weeks to hit the Deep South had encrusted highways, trees and power lines in ice yesterday, knocking out electricity to more than 350,000 homes and businesses.

Forecasters warned of a potentially catastrophic storm across the South with more than an inch of ice between Atlanta and Augusta. As yesterday wore on, power outages climbed by the hour and the dreary weather came in waves.

Forecasters expect the storm to bring high levels of snow, sleet and freezing rain that will make travel dangerous.

Randy Rolle, the Bahamian Consul General in Atlanta, assured The Tribune that Bahamians are more prepared to deal with the wintry storm than they were when a previous storm struck the state two weeks ago.

“Even Barack Obama issued a state of emergency for this area,” he said as he explained the extent officials have gone to prepare residents for the storm.

The Bahamian Consulate General’s office will remain closed until further notice and flights in and out of Atlanta have been cancelled since Tuesday. According to Shonalee Johnson, Communications Manager at Nassau Airport Development Company, flights in and out of Atlanta will not resume until further notice.

“The power lines,” said Mr Rolle, “are going down so there are a lot of people without electricity. The roads are not in good driving condition at all; the whole city is at a standstill as people heed warnings to stay inside.”

Although he said he has not received reports of Bahamians being in distressing situations, Mr Rolle said he has received numerous messages from Bahamian parents in the Bahamas wanting to know if his team “could find their kids.”

“That just shows how important it is for persons to register with the consulate so we are able to keep track of them and help them in these situations,” he said.

Mr Rolle said Bahamians living in the Bahamas could contact him by Facebook if they have pressing concerns about the welfare of their loved ones. The Bahamian Consulate’s Facebook page is www.facebook.com/bahconga242.

As many as 10,000 Bahamians live in Atlanta. Contacted on Facebook, Andrea Hackley, a Bahamian living in Atlanta, said: “I want to come home.”

According to her sister, Mrs Hackley was among those who sat through a traffic jam for 10 hours two weeks ago as she tried to take her daughter home from school.

The Tribune was told that when Mrs Hackley went to Publix Super Market yesterday, there was “no bread left on the shelf” and supplies were nearly depleted.

Mr Rolle agreed, saying: “I tried to go to the store myself; it was extremely busy, but I’m thankful that because of what happened two weeks ago, Bahamians are much more prepared to handle it all.”