NASSAU, BAHAMAS – For some residents along the Western coast of New Providence, getting home can become a challenge when the tides turn.
Sand and debris regularly wash onto the roadways, sometimes leaving motorists with little room to pass.
Last week’s king tides brought the problem back into focus, as higher-than-normal tides pushed seawater further inland.
For Tropical Gardens Resident Michaela, who has lived in the area since 2008, it is a cycle she says has gone on long enough.
Michaela – Resident
“Every spring tide, every rain season, every hurricane season from this side straight up to Sandy Port has a constant issue of the sea coming into the land. We need to find sustainable ways to create a seawall that will reduce this.”
Also, it is not just sand residents are battling.
Michaela – Resident
“In addition to the sand, we were dealing with the sea water, so this isn’t something that we should be dealing with, this is a constant issue and it’s been happening from the time I’ve been living here.”
Area resident and Killarney MP Michela Barnett-Ellis says residents should not have to wait so long for relief.
Michaela Barnett-Ellis – Member of Parliament, Killarney
“In my mind, an example of an area where we could use local government, because if you leave it to us who traverse these areas…you know, reside in the constituency, deal with this on a daily basis, we can mobilize faster than the central government.”
Senior engineer Francis Clarke at the Ministry of Works says crews are working to address the issue.
Francis Clarke – Senior Engineer, Ministry of Works
“Teams are being deployed today and they will continue to be deployed until the roads are safe.”
However, Clarke admits, clearing the sand is only part of the challenge.
“…We don’t have adequate sea defenses along our coastal roads, but there are some long-term plans to put in place coastal defenses to protect our assets along these coastal roads,” he said.
Now, as we were covering this story, we did observe heavy equipment on site working to remove the sand.
However, for residents who have watched this same problem return year after year, it may only be temporary relief.
