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Bahamas News

Freaky Weather includes Waterspouts, Severe Flooding and fish in Backyards

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By Dana Malcolm & Deandrea Hamilton

Staff Writer

 

#TheBahamas, May 19, 2022 – A waterspout whirling its way onto shore in the west, images of submerged cars, impassable roads and even fish darting around in a flooded backyard were the testimony of Nassau’s extreme weather weekend.

The Bahamas Department of meteorology had predicted severe weather from Friday midday to Saturday warning of, “GUSTY WINDS, DANGEROUS LIGHTNING, HEAVY DOWNPOURS, HAIL AND POSSIBLE WATERSPOUT OR TORNADIC ACTIVITY and possibly LOCALIZED FLOODING.”

Reports of hail, the freakish funnel cloud, downpour flooded streets, submerged cars and stranded workers trying to get home made for a shocking weekend.

There were dramatic videos of the forecast, waterspouts, which made an appearance near seaside restaurants Sapodilla Bay and Traveller’s Rest.  The ‘water tornado’ slashing against parked cars, producing whipping winds and tossing water into the restaurant elicited screams and frantic activity as residents could be heard rushing to safety.

The storm is unseasonably early with the official start to the hurricane season still two weeks away; but it maintains a trend for severe weather consistently appearing well ahead of the official June 1 start.

On Tuesday waterspouts erupted in the bay off Harbour Island, Eleuthera, also in The Bahamas as the country was inundated this week with SEVERE WEATHER ALERTS issued by The Bahamas Department of Meteorology.

The latest forecast as weekend approaches is there will be more of the same.

“EXTENDED FORECAST (FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS): A TROPICAL WAVE, SKIRTING THE

SOUTHERN PERIPHERY OF THE BAHAMAS, WILL PROGRESSIVELY MOVE WESTWARDS AND

INFLUENCE AN INFLUX OF MOISTURE NORTHWESTWARDS OVER THE BAHAMAS, KEEPING

RAIN CHANCES IN THE FORECAST INTO SATURDAY.”

The first tropical wave of 2022 has been identified but a pre-season storm is not yet expected. There have been pre-season tropical storms for the past seven years in a row according to WWLTV and the season is expected to be more severe than usual.

“An above-average season with major hurricane landfalls in the U.S.and in the Caribbean is unfortunately likely. Accuweather experts predict.

“16-20 named storms and six to eight hurricanes. Of those hurricanes, about three to five are forecast to reach major hurricane status.”

Boaters and swimmers in the two archipelagos – The Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands – were warned to be cautious as well, “BOATERS SHOULD REMAIN VIGILANT DUE TO THE THREAT OF POSSIBLE WATERSPOUT ACTIVITY. BEACHGOERS SHOULD EXERCISE CAUTION DUE TO THE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS,” the Meteorology Department said.

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Bahamas News

CIBC Caribbean Celebrates International Women’s Day with S.T.R.A.W. Inc. Center for Young Women

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Nassau, Bahamas, March 13, 2024 – Hundreds of teenage girls from all walks of life will this week be both empowered and encouraged to make integrity-based decisions, lead a positive lifestyle, and make the world around them a better place. Under the theme, Fortify, S.T.R.A.W. Inc. Center for Young Women will host its 18th Annual Girls Leadership Conference, which serves as an invaluable platform for personal growth and leadership development.

Aware of the importance of nurturing the next generation of empowered women leaders, CIBC Caribbean made a special donation to S.T.R.A.W. Inc. Center for Young Women in celebration of International Women’s Day (IWD) and this year’s IWD theme, Inspire Inclusion. CIBC Caribbean’s Managing Director, Dr. Jacqui Bend, underscored that CIBC Caribbean is committed to fostering gender equality and supporting the empowerment of girls through education and leadership development.

Dr. Bend said, “CIBC Caribbean is proud to support S.T.R.A.W. Inc. Center for Young Women and the outstanding work it undertakes to uplift young women across The Bahamas. We believe in the importance of creating opportunities for young women to thrive and, through this donation and other initiatives, aim to contribute to building a brighter, more inclusive future for all.”

Event organizers anticipate the participation of 250 girls representing almost every public and private junior and senior high school in New Providence and at least two Family Island schools. The event will also feature special sessions for students from local youth correctional and residential facilities.

S.T.R.A.W. Inc. Center for Young Women Executive Director, Therena Cunningham, said, “We are excited about hosting this event to help harness the leadership potential of female students and to execute prevention and intervention activities which are paramount in sowing seeds of hope, confidence, safety, and peace within the minds and hearts of every adolescent and teen girl who attends and participates.”

Ms. Cunningham added, “With the backing of partners like CIBC Caribbean, we are excited to continue our mission of fostering leadership and empowerment among young women, empowering them to make positive changes in their communities and beyond. On behalf of the volunteers at S.T.R.A.W. Inc. Center, I am elated that CIBC Caribbean decided to support our youth development organization this year.”

 

Photo Captions

Header: CIBC Caribbean staff members presented Therena Cunningham, Executive Director of S.T.R.A.W. Inc. Center for Young Women, with a special donation made in celebration of International Women’s Day.

Insert: CIBC Caribbean staff members celebrated International Women’s Day under the theme Inspire Inclusion.

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Bahamas NIB Minister explains dire situation and need for July increases

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Rashaed Esson
Staff Writer 

 

The Bahamas’ National Insurance Board (NIB) is facing financial issues, at risk of being unable to pay off its debts by 2028, as revealed by Alfred M. Sears, Minister of Immigration and National Insurance in the Mid-year Budget Performance report.

This unfortunate development is according to NIB’s 11th Actuarial Report, facilitated by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and it is calling for swift solutions to restore the capacity of the NIB fund.

Sears, in a release of the report, published on March 7th, goes into the details of the NIB’s dilemma, saying that the Board’s annual income, which includes contribution and investment earnings, is not enough to cover its expenditure fee, inclusive of benefits and administrative costs, “especially in the Long Term (Pensions) Benefits Branch.

The contributing factors to the issue take different forms, Sears highlights. He refers to the decreasing working-age population and an increase in the elderly population, there is an imbalance. The ratio of active contributors to pensioners is currently at 3 to 1, meaning that every three workers are paying for a single pensioner.

Additionally, there is the decline of compliance; benefits expenditure dominating contribution income reductions in investment income, high administrative costs, women having fewer children, and individuals living longer and this simply means a much larger and unsustainable burden for the workforce to shoulder.

If nothing is done, future generations won’t be able to benefit from the NIB as they should.

It is for this reason that reforms are recommended and will be implemented, as advised by the Actuarial Review.

“The Review recommended that a significant increase in the contribution rate is required to pay the full benefits in 2028,” Minister Sears informed.

As a result, come Monday July 1st, 2024, “the contribution rate for NIB will be increased by 1.5%, to be shared equally between the employer and the employee, and thereafter a 1.5% increase Every Two Years from July 1, 2024 to July 1, 2044.”

This, according to Sears, will ensure NIB’s continued provision of necessary services and benefits to Bahamians. A reliable support system for the archipelago.

In fact, with this development, Sears points out that NIB is projected to see a surplus after 2030, when its annual income will exceed the projected expenditure.

The National Insurance Board minister mentions that it is massively important for Bahamians, standing as the foundation of the nation’s social welfare system, providing support to Bahamians when times are hard.

“It would be true to say that if it were not for the National Insurance Board so many of our citizens would not have survived through Hurricane Dorian and COVID-19. For example, between 2019 and 2021, the Government, through NIB, provided income supplement and unemployment assistance to thousands of Bahamians totaling $120 million and NIB itself paid out unemployment benefits, during this period, of $131.5 million between 2019 and 2021,” he maintained.

With the coming increase in contributions, Sears expressed he understands that it might be of concern to Bahamians, so he assured them that it is made to be reasonable and proportionate.

“The phased approach will allow for adjustments to be made gradually, giving each person time to plan and prepare accordingly,” he said.

In continuation, there is more coming beyond the increased contribution, according to Sears.

He said there will also be a comprehensive programme of reform of NIB which will include  “legislative amendments to the National Insurance Act, the National Insurance (Chronic Diseases Prescription Drug Fund) Act, the National Insurance (Benefit and Assistance) (Amendment) Regulations, and the National Insurance (Contributions)(Amendment) Regulations to strengthen financial sustainability and
accountability.”

Additionally, there will be more changes that are “a global and internal recruitment of qualified Bahamian professionals into the executive management of NIB,  to bring about transformative advancements in NIB’s “digital and IT infrastructure, better customer relations, more efficient and effective Human Resource management, reduce administrative costs and improve the investment strategy to produce a better rate of return.”

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RBDF Intercepts Migrants Near Matthew Town Inagua

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For Immediate Release: March 12, 2024

THE RBDF PUBLIC RELATIONS DEPARTMENT

 

Defence Headquarters, 12 MAR. ’24 – Defence Headquarters, 12 MAR. ’24: The Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) has successfully apprehended one hundred and seven (107) Haitian migrants in waters near Matthew Town, Inagua, on Monday, March 12th, 2024.

This operation involved a collaborative effort between RBDF surface assets HMBS Bahamas and HMBS Kamalamee. Both vessels are part of the ongoing southern Bahamas blockade, as recently announced by Commodore Raymond King. This initiative focuses on patrolling overlapping zones – the northern coast of Haiti, the Old Bahama Channel, and the Windward Passage – to deter and intercept unauthorized entry attempts.

In a separate recent operation, HMBS Bahamas, along with service members from Turks and Caicos under the established ship rider agreement, successfully apprehended 140 Haitian migrants in waters near Turks and Caicos.

 

 

Following today’s apprehension, HMBS Kamalamee safely transported the migrants (89 male, 17 female, and 1 child) to Matthew Town, Inagua, where they were transferred to the appropriate local authorities.

The Royal Bahamas Defence Force remains committed to safeguarding the nation’s borders and territorial integrity, working collaboratively with regional partners.

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