Bermuda: A three hundred year old culture of disaster resilience
By Robert Muir-Wood
If a global prize was to be awarded to the city or country that achieves the peak of disaster resilience, Bermuda might be a fitting first winner.
This October’s Hurricane Nicole made direct landfall on the island. The eyewall tracked over Bermuda with maximum measured windspeeds close to 120 mph. Nonetheless there were there were no casualties. The damage tally was principally to fallen trees, roadway debris, some smashed boats and many downed utility poles. The airport opened in 24 hours, with the island’s ferries operating the following day.
Bermuda’s performance through Nicole was exemplary. What’s behind that?