Bahamas News
Disaster Risk Management Authority streamlines response agencies for greater effectiveness; this year, very active hurricane season predicted
By BETTY VEDRINE
Bahamas Information Services
NASSAU, The Bahamas – The newly formed Disaster Risk Management Authority (DRM Authority), held a press conference, June 4, 2024 to mark the official opening of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season. This season — which commences June 1 and ends November 30 — is anticipated to be the most active one seen in decades. The press conference took place at the Disaster Risk Management Operations Centre, formerly NEMA, on Gladstone Road.
State Minister Leon Lundy
In attendance were: Minister of State in the Office of the Prime with the Responsibility for Disaster Preparedness and Management, the Hon. Leroy Lundy, along with several officials, DRM Authority Managing Director Aarone Sargent; DRM Authority Chairman Alex Storr; Director/former National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Captain Stephen Russell; and Permanent Secretary, Marcellus Taylor.
Delivering brief remarks, Minister Lundy assured the public that the government is taking every precaution to ensure the safety and welfare of Bahamians during the season.
“Our vision is clear: to have a country where every citizen and resident feels secure in the face of a storm. The government, along with our dedicated agencies, has been working relentlessly to enhance our disaster preparedness and response capabilities. Central to these efforts is the establishment of the Disaster Risk Management Authority (DRM Authority), a body created to streamline and strengthen our disaster management functions,” said Mr. Lundy.
“The formation of the DRM Authority represents a pivotal change in our approach. By merging NEMA and the [DRM Authority], we have created a unified entity focused on preparing for, mitigating, and responding to disasters with unparalleled precision and efficiency. This consolidation ensures a comprehensive and cohesive framework for disaster risk management, embracing innovation to fortify our resilience.”
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) projects 8 to 13 hurricanes, with 4 to 7 of those being major hurricanes. Mr. Lundy said that this ‘sobering’ forecast requires the highest level of preparedness and vigilance.
As Bahamians, he said, the nation has “faced the wrath of nature time and again” with hurricanes such as Frances, Joaquin, Matthew, and Dorian, which “have tested our resilience and left indelible marks on our history. However, it is from these trials that we draw our strength and resolve. Today, I stand before you with an unwavering determination to outline our vision for a resilient and prepared Bahamaland.”
He explained that the DRM Authority is tasked with developing and implementing the National Disaster Risk Management Plan and the National Disaster Emergency Plan. These strategic blueprints, he said, cover risk assessment, disaster risk mitigation, preparedness measures, financial safeguards, and the strengthening of governance frameworks.
“Our ultimate goal is unequivocal: to enhance the safety and security of our citizens in the face of hurricanes,” he said. “Our nation sits in the heart of Hurricane Alley, and the predictions are daunting. Yet, I have complete faith in the dedication and capability of the agencies represented here today to protect our people and our future. The Royal Bahamas Defence Force, the Royal Bahamas Police Force, the Water and Sewerage Corporation, BPL, BTC, Aliv, The Department of Meteorology, The Department of Family Island Affairs, our Emergency Support Function Groups (ESFs), and the DRM Authority all stand ready to meet the challenge.”
DRM Authority Chairman Alex Storr
He said that each agency plays a critical role in disaster preparedness and response strategy. He said that the government has been fortifying its ability to meet the requirements to meet its objectives, including upgrading the incident command systems for more effective coordination during disasters and deploying satellite data systems throughout the Family Islands to provide real-time, high-quality insights for decision making. “Additionally, we are partnering with regional allies to incorporate advanced technologies such as Unmanned Aerial Systems for rapid damage assessment and AI-driven early warning systems, thereby enhancing our ability to respond swiftly and effectively,” he said.
Mr. Lundy pointed out, however, that the government needed every Bahamian to take personal responsibility for their own preparedness. “Our message is simple and urgent: Don’t wait! Get storm-ready now! Take the necessary steps to protect your home, your family, and your business. Ensure you have your supplies: stock up on canned goods, shutters or plywood, extra prescriptions, and other essentials. Make a plan and communicate it with your loved ones. Knowing what to do in the event of a hurricane can save lives,” he said. “Let us draw from the hard-earned lessons of past storms. We have harnessed those experiences to strengthen our disaster management approach, and now we must apply that knowledge to prepare for what lies ahead.”
Representatives from a cross-section of agencies also gave preliminary reports on the progress in their respective areas. Those contributors included: Senior Officer, Bahamas Department of Meteorology, Jeffrey Greene; Chief Welfare Officer, Department of Social Services, Andrea Newbold; Officer in Charge of Communication in the Royal Bahamas Police Force, Superintendent Marlon Grant; and Officer for Training, Development and Disaster Management in the Department of Public Works, Bradley King.
(BIS Photos/Ulric Woodside)
PM: Project delivers on promise and invests in youth, sports and national development
GRAND BAHAMA, The Bahamas — Calling it the fulfillment of a major commitment to the island, Prime Minister Philip Davis led the official groundbreaking for the Grand Bahama Aquatic Centre, a facility the government says will transform sports development and create new opportunities for young athletes.
Speaking at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex on February 12, the Prime Minister said the project represents more than bricks and mortar
— it is an investment in people, national pride and long-term economic activity. The planned complex will feature a modern 50-metre competition pool, designed to meet international standards for training and regional and global swim meets. Davis said the facility will give Bahamian swimmers a home capable of producing world-class performance while also providing a space for community recreation, learn-to-swim programmes and water safety training.
He noted that Grand Bahama has long produced outstanding athletes despite limited infrastructure and said the new centre is intended to correct that imbalance, positioning the island as a hub for aquatic sports and sports tourism.
The Prime Minister also linked the development to the broader national recovery and revitalisation of Grand Bahama, describing the project as part of a strategy to expand opportunities for young people, create jobs during construction and stimulate activity for small businesses once operational.
The Aquatic Centre, he said, stands as proof that promises made to Grand Bahama are being delivered.
The project is expected to support athlete development, attract competitions, and provide a safe, modern environment for residents to access swimming and water-based programmes for generations to come.
Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.
The Bahamas, February 15, 2026 – For the better part of three years, Bahamians have been told that major Afreximbank financing would help transform access to capital, rebuild infrastructure and unlock economic growth across the islands. The headline figures are large. The signing ceremonies are high profile. The language is ambitious. What remains far harder to see is the measurable impact in the daily lives of the people those announcements are meant to serve.
The Government’s push to secure up to $100 million from Afreximbank for roughly 200 miles of Family Island roads dates back to 2025. In
its February 11 disclosure, the bank outlined a receivables-discounting facility — a structure that allows a contractor to be paid early once work is completed, certified and invoiced, with the Government settling the bill later. It is not cash placed into the economy upfront. It does not, by itself, build a single mile of road. Every dollar depends on work first being delivered and approved.
The wider framework has been described as support for “climate-resilient and trade-enhancing infrastructure,” a phrase that, in practical terms, should mean projects that lower the cost of doing business, move people and goods faster, and keep the economy functioning. But for communities, that promise becomes real only when the projects are named, the standards are defined and a clear timeline is given for when work will begin — and when it will be finished.
Bahamians have seen this moment before.
In 2023, a $30 million Afreximbank facility for the Bahamas Development Bank was hailed as a breakthrough that would expand access to financing for local enterprise. It worked in one immediate and measurable way: it encouraged businesses to apply. Established, revenue-generating Bahamian companies responded to the call, prepared plans, and entered a process they believed had been capitalised to support growth. The unanswered question is how much of that capital has reached the private sector in a form that allowed those businesses to expand, hire and generate new economic activity.
Because development is not measured in the size of announcements.
It is measured in loans disbursed, projects completed and businesses expanded.
The pattern is becoming difficult to ignore. In June 2024, when Afreximbank held its inaugural Caribbean Annual Meetings in Nassau,
Grand Bahama was presented as the future home of an Afro-Caribbean marketplace said to carry tens of millions of dollars in investment. What was confirmed at that stage was a $1.86 million project-preparation facility — funding for studies and planning to make the development bankable, not construction financing. The larger build-out remains dependent on additional approvals, land acquisition and further capital.
This distinction — between financing announced and financing that produces visible, measurable outcomes — is now at the centre of the national conversation.
Because while the numbers grow larger on paper, entrepreneurs still describe access to capital as out of reach, and communities across the Family Islands are still waiting to see where the work will start.
And in an economy where stalled growth translates into lost opportunity, rising frustration and real social consequences, the gap between promise and delivery is no longer a communications issue.
It is an inability to convert announcements into outcomes.
Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.
A hardline strategy that reduced murders, gunfire, and collateral deaths
The Bahamas, February 8, 2026 – What happens when police stop routinely granting bail to high-risk suspects and aggressively execute outstanding warrants? In The Bahamas, the answer in 2025 was fewer murders, fewer gunshots, and safer communities.
The Royal Bahamas Police Force arrested 4,337 individuals on outstanding warrants last year, ensuring suspects were brought directly before the courts instead of being released back onto the streets. At the same time, police significantly curtailed the use of police bail for high-risk and repeat offenders, particularly those already entangled in violent disputes.
Police Commissioner Shanta Knowles said the shift was informed by hard lessons from previous years. Intelligence reviews showed that
many homicide victims were not random targets, but men already wanted by law enforcement and — critically — by other criminals. When released on bail, those individuals often became targets themselves, triggering retaliatory shootings that spilled into neighbourhoods, roadways and public spaces.
By keeping high-risk suspects in custody pending court appearances, police say they disrupted that cycle — removing both potential offenders and potential victims from the streets.
The impact was stark. Murders declined by 31 percent in 2025, falling from 120 in 2024 to 83, the largest percentage decrease in homicides since national tracking began in 1963 and the lowest murder count in nearly two decades.
Police leaders say the strategy also reduced the collateral damage that had increasingly alarmed communities. Innocent residents had been caught in “sprays of gunfire” as targeted attacks unfolded in residential areas, at traffic stops, and in public settings.
Gun-violence indicators reflected the change. Gunshot reports fell by 35 percent, while incidents detected by ShotSpotter technology declined by 29 percent, confirming that fewer shots were being fired across the country.
“Gunshots ringing out and cutting through our peaceful paradise were down remarkably,” Commissioner Knowles said, attributing the improvement to decisive enforcement, tighter bail practices, and sustained pressure on offenders.
Police also intensified enforcement against breach of bail conditions, charging and detaining more suspects than in any previous reporting period. Officers say the approach removed the opportunity for repeat offending while matters were before the courts.
Police leadership said the results go beyond statistics. By limiting bail for high-risk suspects and executing warrants at scale, the strategy saved lives, protected bystanders, and restored confidence in public safety.
In 2025, fewer people were hunted, fewer bullets were fired, and fewer families were left grieving — a shift police say was no accident, but the result of deliberate, hardline choices.
Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.
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