In wake of Matthew, Hilton Head candidates agree on one thing

People need to be the focus of future disaster planning, all the candidates running for Hilton Head Island Town Council said during a forum Thursday.

This is the lesson learned from Hurricane Matthew, the candidates said during the League of Women Voters of Hilton Head Island and Bluffton Area event.

Incumbents David Ames, Ward 1, and Marc Grant, Ward 3, are facing challengers Ryan James McAvoy, Ward 1, and Ibrahim Abdul-Malik, Ward 3, in the upcoming Nov. 8 election.

Ames said town staff and Mayor David Bennett did an “outstanding” job in the days following the storm. Yet, more is needed going forward to help those struggling on the island, he said.

“I am not convinced that we have a human-oriented plan,” said Ames, a retired island planner and developer. “We did a great job getting them on the island, but we now have people who lost their homes, apartments or condos. This is the time for the community to distinguish themselves and show what they are made of.”

McAvoy said business owners were left in the dark when it came to returning to the island. Town officials need to work on a plan on how to keep them informed during future disasters, he said.

“There was a lot of confusion on who could and couldn’t get back on this island,” said McAvoy, a marketing consultant. “We have a lot of talented people on this island. To have that skill set on the other side of the bridge and not be able to get back on the island doesn’t make sense. It is hindsight, but it is disappointing.”

Grant said it is important that low-income people are not forgotten during disasters. He said better information about transportation options to shelters is needed in the future.

“One of our challenges were those people who were unable to get off the island,” said Grant, an ExxonMobil convenience store owner. “We need something more than information found on the internet. We may need to go door to door in the future.”

Abdul-Malik said he believed the town did a great job of keeping people first before, during and after the storm.

“I thought the return to the island was a little chaotic, but the town prepared us and got us ready,” said Abdul-Malik, a food and beverage industry professional. “They also have informed people about the avenues in place to help people. There was a good information flow. I think the town did well.”

This story was originally published October 20, 2016 at 8:52 PM with the headline "In wake of Matthew, Hilton Head candidates agree on one thing."