As the nation reflects on the third year anniversary of the trek of Hurricane Dorian through the Northern Bahamas, more specifically the islands of Abaco and Grand Bahama, and the Commission issues the following tips for consumers:
Be prepared – at the issuance of a hurricane watch, stock up on necessary supplies; bottled water, ice, food items, particularly canned goods, medications, batteries, fuel for vehicle, sand bags if susceptible to flooding, flash lights, portable radios and chargers etc. In this way long lines and scarcity of items can be avoided.
Keep portable chargers fully charged in the event of power loss.
Have an evacuation plan that includes knowing the location of designated shelters in your area, and the safe keeping of valuable documents.
Check the conditions of hurricane shutters to ensure functionality and install before high winds make it unsafe or extremely difficult to do so.
Have a plan to secure items that may be blown away with heavy winds.
Ensure that there are no trees threatening the power line into your home or its roof.
Pay close attention to alerts from NEMA
Be on the lookout for instances of price gouging; if encountered please reach out to our sister agency Consumer Affairs Unit at 361-4239, or contact the Consumer Protection Commission directly at telephone 393-7795/6, Hotline 357-7898 or via email complaints@cpcbahamas.gov.bs
Walter Ferguson
Chairman
Consumer Protection Commission
7th September, 2022
