Our structures are strong enough to withstand hurricanes
Minister for Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change Julian Fraser has posited that homes and other buildings are strong enough to withstand hurricanes, adding that this was proven when Irma and Maria hit the territory in 2017.
“If, God forbid, there’s a serious hurricane, I can attest to the fact that our structures in the Virgin Islands are adequate. They have proven that during hurricanes Irma and Maria,” Minister Fraser stated.
Most homes and commercial buildings in the BVI were damaged or destroyed after the 2017 disasters. But Fraser said this was not caused by poor engineering but lack of preparation for the storms.
“The damage the buildings sustained was because of lack of preparation. If you allow the elements to get through your windows, of course they are going to lift your roof off. But had you boarded up and done what you should have, our damage would have been significantly reduced. I submit that our structures are adequately designed and built,” Fraser said.
Fraser’s comments come amid calls for residents to remain on high alert during this hurricane season that is being described as slow but still above average when compared to previous years.
Residents are being urged to maintain their homes, stock non-perishables and keep monitoring the health of the young and elderly who are most vulnerable to the impact of hurricanes.
Forecasters have predicted 17 named storms, including nine hurricanes – four of which could be major, for the 2025 season which started on June 1 and ends on November 30.
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retract this useless ‘news’ article. Incoherent ramblings of a dinosaur. Wish there was a delete key for this type of media trash.
That mean you notbinsuring them again. What fools. 8 years and the Admin building still not restored.
What is this idiot leader saying??
Look around you. VI buildings still not restored from Irma.
Fools. Get cars buildings and Government in order and get insurance.
Nonsense! My windows were protected and my roof had hurricane clips and I still lost parts of it.
Get prepared, get insurance, get fixed back. No excuses.
My comment was really aimed at the Deputy Premier’s remarks as reported by BVI News. My house is well-bult, it was/is insured, it was protected, yet it suffered many thousands of dollars in damage. It is built back, but I think it is unrealistic to say that Irma and Maria proved that our buildings are adequate. I think they proved otherwise which is why, with subsequent mitigation measures, some of them might be better able to withstand should something happen now. (Praying that theory won’t be tested.)
I agree.
Bro, you are right, preparation is very important, but I swear you just wake up in the morning and talk $hit all day long.
Nine times out of ten, the roof blows because pressure in not equal when hurricanes blow through, that combined pressure difference between the storm outside and sealed up house inside, it more often than not the cause and effect of lost rooves.
Yes, a breached window as well will render havoc inside too. But even a well-prepared property will take damage in a major storm.
Add to that the micro effects of valleys, mountains, and other physical elements on small mountainous islands, etc., and you can easily get a tornado, or other storm related enhancements under any number of circumstances that no amount of preparation will save you from. That is what Irma really taught us!
Ayo jealous hatred for Fraser is clouding ayo judgement
Very disrespectful to the elder statesman who dedicated more than half his life to make life easier for most of these ungrateful bloggers.
“…I can attest to the fact that our structures in the Virgin Islands are adequate…”
On the contrary, I would suggest that they are inadequate in terms of design and location. Slab sided buildings on low-lying land open to the full blast of the sea, being examples.
That man was not around for hurricane ermer to be talking trash hmmmmmmm.
It is imperative and critically important to build strong in the VI.
Sitting in a wooden house and watching your roof jump up and down for hours and all you have to hold to is your fright is a horrible experience to live.
Everyone who lived through IrMaris has seen some of the strongest roofs and bulidings disappeared knows that you can never prepare strongly enough for any hurricane system…
We must build stronger..
My jumbie Jack
What is this man saying. Look at the devastation that took place after the two hurricanes where is this man head
Almost every home was touched !!! Is he having a SENIOR MOMENT
Are these the same structures that can’t fix since Irma? The one excused y’all keep using is Irma. lmfao
Oh boy
What is this fool smoking?
Oops! LOL! They told Fraser he is minister of environment after his switching betrayal of the opposition, and suddenly he knows civil engineering to make pronouncement on the soundness of building structure, I hope they make him minister of aviation to see if he becomes a pilot overnight to fly a plane
I agree with Honourable Fraser. Our houses are built adequately to withstand hurricanes. Irma and Maria were not the average hurricanes that we have experienced here in the Virgin Islands. Those were, hopefully, once in a life time storms that were Category 5s. The 80 year olds in this country has never lived through an Irma/Maria before. And the point he is making is that most of our houses stood up except for minor damages. I know mine did. I had to repair a few things but we were safe and dry and not harmed in any way. Okay. So our houses were tested by more than likely, hopefully, the biggest storms that we will see in these Virgin Islands and we lived through it. In other places it would have taken hundreds of lives and flattened the houses. So be grateful instead of being infantile and rude. Age is a blessing. And tomorrow all you ugly young bloggers will be a day older. Next year a year older and if you have children, you will pray to live to see your grand children grow up. They will more than likely find meaner words than dinosaur etc to call you if they are as mean as you are. So if you have nothing nice to say, shut your faces. Ugly blogs totally unnecessary?