UPDATE: Hurricane Ike tests TCI leadership and our people's resolve... -The iPINIONS Journal

By all accounts, Hurricane Ike was “the worst natural disaster to hit the Turks and Caicos Islands in living memory”. Therefore, it is a testament to our people’s resolve (and God’s grace) that we weathered its fury with little or no loss of life.

Preliminary reports indicate, however, that Ike’s 135 mph winds did considerable damage to property throughout the islands – with many homes being completely destroyed on Grand Turk and South Caicos. And it only compounded the widespread flooding that Tropical Storm Hanna left in its wake.

Consequently, many TCIslanders will be looking to the government for assistance as we begin the long and expensive process of recovery and rebuilding. This, notwithstanding complaints which made the Misick Administration seem even less prepared to deal with Hanna last week than the Bush Administration was to deal with Katrina three years ago.

All the same, I commend Premier Dr. Michael Misick for ordering the airlift of all intensive care and special needs patients to Miami well in advance of Ike’s landfall. Because chances are very good that many parts of the country, still waiting for electricity to be restored in the aftermath of Hanna, will now be without power for an extended period. Which makes me wonder why the Premier was pictured delivering raw eggs as emergency relief supplies to some residents…?

Frankly, given that our government was teetering on the precipice of bankruptcy even before Hanna, it might simply be unable to render any meaningful assistance to our people in distress.

Therefore, we should be exceedingly grateful that the British have deployed ships to the TCI with more appropriate supplies, including canned food, water, medical supplies, shelter-building equipment, a helicopter and, hopefully, a few marines to help enforce law and order. This, notwithstanding the fatuous and irresponsible claims our Premier made recently about the British fomenting an indigenous conspiracy to destabilize our country and keep us mired in the “shackles of colonialism.”

We should also appreciate that regional leaders, including Bahamian PM Hubert Ingraham and Jamaican PM Bruce Golding, have pledged significant support to help in our relief efforts. (I urge Premier Misick to request crews to help repair downed power lines and restore power ASAP.)

Meanwhile, I’m especially grateful to the tens of thousands of people from around the world who have (and will) honour the request I made here and at The TCI Journal to make donations to the British Red Cross – specifically ear-marked for the TCI.

That said, I agree with Premier Misick that:

We will recover in a way that will make us all proud.

Accordingly, my thoughts and prayers go out to all TCIslanders as we embark on this very challenging phase in our history.

But let us also pray for our brothers and sisters in Haiti who have suffered far more catastrophic losses in the wake of Hanna and Ike (as this picture clearly shows).

NOTE: Please make donations for the TCI (and Haiti) through the British Red Cross: www.redcross.org.uk