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Last Updated: Feb 13, 2017 - 1:45:37 AM |
Homes are built better in The Bahamas and that could be a very good thing for the property market.
So says leading real estate broker Mario Carey, president of Better Homes and Gardens MCR Bahamas Group.
“When Hurricane Matthew pummeled parts of the Caribbean and barreled through Nassau and Paradise Island last week it was the toughest weather test the capital experienced in nearly 80 years,” said Carey. “While we did not get a direct hit, we got winds of up to 145 miles an hour. A storm surge at high tide at midnight drove sea level up by an unheard of 12-14 feet. Yet almost every building in the capital and on Paradise Island was left still standing. That is powerful stuff and speaks volumes for The Bahamas building code, the quality of our construction and our common sense design. I don’t think we have focused enough on what was saved because so much focus has been on what was lost – electricity, internet, the stunning, sad destruction of so many trees. But just think about how many buildings are standing in spite of everything that was thrown at them. The building strength probably not only saved lives, it could very well save our property market because it demonstrates that even in the worst of weather, properties in Nassau and on Paradise Island are strong and they keep people within them safe. That bodes well for confidence in the market.”
Carey’s comments came against a backdrop of international commentary and kudos to The Bahamas for structural soundness. Experts who visited the islands in the days following the Category 4 storm say had it occurred in many of the other islands of the Caribbean, there would have been catastrophic loss of life. In Haiti, where the storm did hit before it tossed around in The Bahamas for over 24 hours, more than 500 people died. The greatest damage in this country was in North Andros, the Berry Islands and sections of Grand Bahama, particularly West End and the southern shore, both low-lying coastal areas. There was extensive damage, too, along the south side of New Providence where water flooded vehicles and homes and many had to be rescued.
“My heart goes out to the people of Grand Bahama and North Andros who suffered direct hits from Matthew,” said Carey. “While the storm missed us by barely 30 miles, we in the capital still experienced 145-mile an hour winds and roiling seas. The aftermath looked like a tornado ran across the island because of all the downed and toppled trees but when you stop, take a deep breath and think about it, we were not just lucky. We were built like a fortress and it paid off. When people look for a place to live, the first thing they think about is safety. And that can mean weathering a storm as well as other types of security. If there is a lesson to be learned, it is not to let up on any of the enforcement of the building code and to ensure that it extends to Family Islands where inspections, when they occur, tend to be a bit more lax. Maybe that will be the silver lining.”
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