One year after Hurricane Joaquin devastated islands in the southeastern Bahamas, the National Emergency Management Association (NEMA) said some islands are still reeling from the effects of the storm and repairs are not yet completed.

During a press conference this past Friday, Technical Director of National Recovery, Melanie Roach, and Chief Civil Engineer at the Ministry of Works Layton Rahmen, presented specifics that concerned the reconstruction and rebuilding of homes, government offices, and roadways on those islands most affected.

“Following Hurricane Joaquin, the government has embarked on a very extensive repair and reconstruction program,” Ms. Roach said.

“With regards to new construction, we are in the process of constructing 24 new homes – three in Acklins; five in Crooked Island; 12 in Long Island; and four in San Salvador.”

According to Ms. Roach, NEMA has also repaired some 380 homes on these islands.

While Ms. Roach could not give an approximate figure on the reconstruction and repair of homes as they are still in the process of having to purchase additional building materials, she did give a projection of what government buildings on the islands would cost for repairs.

“For the repairs to the government buildings in the four islands it is just over $9 million, the bulk of that is for San Salvador Airport,” she said.

The remainder of which is shared between Acklins, Crooked Island, and Long Island.

In total, NEMA had assessed some 1,611 residential homes throughout the six Family Islands and over 50 government buildings.

Mr. Rahmen, chief civil engineer at the Ministry of Works confirmed that infrastructure has also began on the various islands. In Acklins, 30 miles of road repairs have begun.

Although repairs have been started, Mr. Rahmen indicated that there have been some challenges.

“The difficult part of completing repairs is getting the materials and equipment, with the existing port in Acklins that are not suitable for heavy gear,” he said.

However, he did indicate that a deep water channel in Selena Point will be prepared and used to bring in the necessary equipment.

Repairs in Crooked Island have begun with urgency as a section of road cuts off part of the island from the remainder of the island. These repairs are expected to be completed in Crooked Island by the end of the month, officials said.

Hurricane Joaquin was a powerful tropical cyclone that devastated several islands of The Bahamas and also caused damage in the Turks and Caicos.

Battering the islands for over two days, Joaquin caused extensive devastation, most notably on Acklins, Crooked Island, Long Island, Rum Cay, and San Salvador.

Severe storm surge inundated many communities, trapping hundreds of people in their homes.

Flooding persisted for days after the hurricane’s departure.

Prolonged, intense winds brought down trees and powerlines, and unroofed homes throughout the affected region.

Joaquin was one of the strongest storms on record to affect the nation.