$12M for Emergency Repairs Following Tropical Wave

When Cabinet met on August nineteenth, in the wake of a tropical wave that passed over the country a day or so earlier, it approved twelve million dollars to be used for repairing highways and feeder roads that were damaged by the weather system.  This morning, during the sitting of the House of Representatives, Cayo South Area Representative Julius Espat, Minister of Infrastructure Development and Housing, tabled a motion for supplementary appropriations in that amount to cover the cost of emergency repairs. 

Julius Espat

Julius Espat, Area Representative, Cayo South

“Mr. Speaker, it is estimated that as much as seven inches of rainfall was experienced during this time [that] it took the weather disturbance to pass.  This caused two major culverts on the Phillip Goldson Highway to be washed out and several others compromised, thus creating a hazard to motorists and road users.  There were reports of as much as eighteen inches of water crossing the Phillip Goldson Highway at various locations that have never, never historically flooded, as well as reports of feeder and farm roads across the country being impassable after the rains subsided.  Entire villages in the north were under water and thus prevented many residents from continuing with their daily lives.  The lack of adequate drains and culverts, Mr. Speaker, is a major contributor to the problem of flooding.  Perhaps these are possible signs that the effects of climate change will be a greater challenge to us at the MIDH and maybe for the country on a whole, in fact, for the world on a whole as we go forward.  The MIDH which is the Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Housing District Road Maintenance Units were quick to respond to notifications of flooding and damage to restore public access, protect infrastructure and alleviate impacts to those affected.  The teams conducted their inspections and made recommendations.”