September 22, 2025, marked exactly 70 years since the eye of Hurricane Janet passed just south of Barbados, damaging 8 000 homes, shutting down the main radio station, blocking roads and passageways, and causing the collapse of Gospel Hall in Christ Church, killing ten people; with over 50 in total perishing.
This day should serve as a reminder of the devastation a hurricane can cause to a small island developing state such as Barbados. The damage negatively impacted the economy to the tune of US$5 million in 1955, equivalent to US$60 million today.
This day should also be used to reflect on where we are since that fateful event, as it relates to hurricane readiness and resilience. We have made strides to upgrade our building stock (with more masonry houses being built as opposed to timber), to draft building codes (e.g., CUBIC in the 1980s and the Barbados Building Codes of 1993 and 2013), to pass/proclaim legislation (the proclamation of the Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2020-34 on December 7, 2021 (with the exception of Sections 44 (A to I)). This shows that as a country, we have made moves in the right direction.
However, we must be honest with ourselves in examining where we need to be as it relates to resilience in 2025. Climate change is now even more crucial in goal setting and infrastructural development than ever before. It is widely reported that the world is warming at an alarming rate every decade, and this can trigger extreme weather across the planet. We have had more “super” storms in the Caribbean in the more recent past than before.
The Barbados Association of Professional Engineers (BAPE) remains vigilant to all matters concerning infrastructure in Barbados, so it would be remiss of us not to proffer three key recommendations as we take time to reflect on the anniversary of Janet:
Owners of existing buildings should get their buildings assessed by a professional engineer to ensure hazard readiness and robustness;
Potential owners of future buildings should ensure that their buildings are properly designed and then built in accordance with best practices.
Legislators are encouraged to revisit and proclaim section 44 of the PD Act to ensure that the appropriate building control for quality assurance and control in construction is carried out; and to continue to review and
strengthen all building codes and guidelines on a continuous basis with multidisciplinary teams.
We believe that once the three measures above are implemented, Barbados’ infrastructure stock will be significantly more resilient and better equipped to withstand climate-induced natural hazards – projected to surpass even Hurricane Janet in severity – for many years to come.
Engineer Rey Moe is an internationally chartered civil engineer, a locally registered civil and structural engineer and the president of the Barbados Association of Professional Engineers.
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