The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune

For a moment, I thought that NEMA was going to be much more organised in its communications this time around.

Ahead of Hurricane Matthew’s arrival, a message was sent out announcing a hashtag for use on Twitter to help spread the essential word.

“Learn what to do before, during, and after a hurricane if you search for #PrepMatthewBah on Twitter and you will get a list of precautionary alerts and other related information about Hurricane Matthew issued by NEMA,” the statement trumpeted.

The only problem is ... they seem to have largely forgotten to bother using it themselves.

Nothing has gone out at all on that hashtag since October 6. Ahead of the storm, the Prime Minister’s office put out a few graphics with preparation warnings - which is a good thing - but beyond that, all we’ve had from official sources has been pictures of Perry Christie looking concerned. A few other Twitter users hopped aboard the hashtag to give updates, but seem to have given up as it was clear that there was no official support.

This is the sort of outlet that could be used to notify people of airport re-openings, power updates, water connection updates, details on charity efforts such as what relief supplies are needed and where they should be going, information about hospitals being back up to full functionality and more. And yet ... the very means that NEMA told people they would use to alert people is one they haven’t bothered with.

In fact, check out the NEMA Twitter account (Or is it? It hasn’t been verified), and you’ll see hardly any tweeting at all, and not a single use of the hashtag they said they would use to keep people up to date.

It may seem like a simple thing, but communication through the storm is crucial, and to not keep people updated through the channels you’ve told them to watch out for is the most basic failure.

That same announcement by NEMA ahead of the storm added: “This is part of the ongoing education of comprehensive disaster mitgation by NEMA as the agency seeks to build disaster resilient communities.”

It seems to me that NEMA needs a little more education itself.

STORM WATCHER

Nassau

October 11, 2016