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Barbados’ National Council on Substance Abuse (NCSA) faces significant operational challenges due to severe staffing limitations that hinder its capacity to address the island’s growing need for drug prevention and education services. Deputy Manager Troy Wickham revealed that despite concerted efforts to enhance public awareness campaigns, the organization’s modest workforce of just 19 employees substantially restricts its community outreach capabilities. Among these staff members, only four serve as substance abuse prevention officers tasked with directly delivering drug education programs across diverse community groups. The council’s technical capabilities are further constrained by having merely two research and information officers analyzing local drug trends and two counselors providing essential support services. To overcome these limitations, the NCSA has implemented innovative digital solutions including Zoom, Nearpod, and Canva platforms to conduct virtual sessions reaching broader audiences. These technology-driven initiatives are supported by an evidence-based database ensuring research-grounded prevention messaging. The organization has increasingly relied on trained volunteers who undergo comprehensive 7-12 week training programs covering NCSA’s curriculum, local drug research, and technological delivery methods. As Barbados observes Drug Awareness Month throughout January, Wickham has issued a public appeal for additional volunteers to bolster the council’s community prevention efforts. Despite these adaptive measures, Wickham identified message acceptance as another fundamental challenge, noting that persuading the public to internalize prevention messages remains persistently difficult despite expanded outreach initiatives.

The General Insurance Association of Barbados (GIAB) revealed on Tuesday that insurers have disbursed approximately $184,000 in claims stemming from November’s catastrophic floods, which claimed one life and inflicted widespread destruction across the island. GIAB President Andrea Walton confirmed that 60 total claims were processed through the association’s secretariat, comprising 47 motor vehicle claims and 13 property damage claims.

According to insurance officials, no additional claims are anticipated at this juncture, given that the most severely affected zones were confined to specific regions. The historic deluge, described as the most severe in a decade, resulted in the tragic death of 58-year-old Terry Kellman and caused extensive vehicular devastation, with numerous automobiles either washed away or deemed total losses.

Kellman tragically perished after losing his footing along Lower Estate Road as torrential waters transformed the Charles Rowe Bridge into a raging river. His body was recovered approximately 24 hours after the initial flooding incident.

Anton Lovell, General Manager of Cooperatives General Insurance, provided sobering assessment regarding submerged vehicles, stating that complete write-offs were inevitable regardless of insurance coverage. “When vehicles become fully submerged, recovery becomes impossible. These cases represent total losses—even luxury vehicles like Mercedes suffered irreparable water damage,” Lovell explained in post-flood evaluations.

Despite the devastation, Home Affairs Minister Wilfred Abrahams extended commendations to first responders who conducted rescue and recovery operations throughout the night. During damage assessment tours of St. Peter and St. Lucy parishes alongside emergency personnel, Abrahams emphasized the unprecedented scale and velocity of the flooding event.

The Minister detailed particular devastation around Charles Rowe Bridge, where multiple vehicles were swept away—some traveling from as far as St. George Parish Church before accumulating near the Chefette junction. Meteorological authorities confirmed that engineering solutions would have proven insufficient against the extraordinary rainfall intensity, with certain areas receiving up to nine inches (228.6mm) within 24 hours.

Abrahams relayed the Met Office’s professional assessment: “The volume of precipitation within such condensed timeframe would have overwhelmed even world-class infrastructure. Water accumulated in elevated parishes and cascaded downward—our focus must remain on post-event mitigation strategies.”

A significant housing initiative in Barbados is bringing long-awaited property rights to residents of Six Men’s, St Peter, ending decades of legal uncertainty. Government officials have confirmed substantial progress in transferring land titles to families who have occupied these properties for multiple generations.

During a House of Assembly debate on land resolutions, Labour Minister and St Peter MP Colin Jordan announced that approximately 37 properties have been formally surveyed under the Six Men’s Life Improvement Project. This represents nearly half of the homeowner-occupied parcels in the historically disputed area.

“The people of Six Men’s are tremendously happy with the progress,” Jordan stated, emphasizing that residents had lived “in limbo for over 50 years” regarding property ownership. The National Housing Corporation (NHC), operating under the Ministry of Housing, has spearheaded the title transfer process that will finally grant legal recognition to generational occupants.

The minister contrasted the current administration’s approach with previous governments, accusing the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) administration of labeling residents as “squatters” when they attempted to purchase their family lands. Jordan revealed that 37 residents received formal notification letters shortly before Christmas, enabling them to proceed with legal ownership acquisition for lots ranging from 2,500 to 3,500 square feet at approximately $1,400 per property.

Beyond the Six Men’s initiative, Jordan announced upcoming improvements for the Maynard’s Housing Area, including exterior power washing and electrical upgrades. The minister concluded with a strong defense of the housing program, stating, “As MP, I am happy on behalf of the people of St Peter who are benefiting from the work of the Ministry of Housing.”