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HURRICANE TALES- WE ARE KEEPING OUR GUARDS UP |
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Friday, 15 June 2007 |
By the time Hurricane
Ivan had cut a
destructive swath
across Grenada in
2004 not many
Grenadians had
any first hand idea
of what a hurricane
was supposed to
look like.
Yet our introduction to this dangerous weather phenomenon was not a gentle one
but it was administered by one of the most dangerous wind storms in the recorded
history of the earth.
Hurricane Ivan left the landscape and housing stock unbelievably battered and
scarred for the long term. It left the people shocked, traumatized and awed not to
mention bereft of most of their worldly material possessions.
Looking back after three years we realize that physical recovery has gone along at a
much brisker pace that emotional recovery but generally recovery has spoken
volumes for the tolerance and the indomitable spirit of the Grenadian people.
Even the relatively few among us who had experienced Hurricane Janet in 1955
were not prepare for the concentrated ferocity of Ivan. They had in fact by that
time only vague recollections of the rage of Janet and had long relaxed and begun to
breathe easy.
Those of us with no hurricane experience had essentially written off the threat of a
hurricane hitting us as almost inconceivable since so long we had not been
harassed by one.
The fact the Grenada was declared to be out of the hurricane belt and therefore unlikely
to be touched by one did nothing to boost our alertness and state of readiness.>br/>
This helped us to be even less prepared for the furious battering of Ivan on whose
heels Emily closely followed a year later.
As we continue to gather our wits about us and still are picking up the physical
and emotional pieces we find time to look back now and to laugh a bit at the
more humorous parts of the experience. We can now chat with friends and swap
experiences of course expecting and sometimes perhaps giving a little embellishment
here and there.
I know of one man who with a straight face reported how he single-handedly carried
his wife, his wife’s mother and his four children at once from their disintegrating
house. Maybe he did, in extreme situations one does extreme things.
Another lady claims that after the hurricane took her roof and almost everything in
the house she looked around and saw the bed as the only remaining source of
refuge. As she was in mid air in her desperate dive for under the bed she saw it floating
up in the air, snatched away at the last moment by the taunting winds.
Another man who was left without the full use of one arm and one leg through a
stroke some years ago reported how as he was fleeing from his destroyed he was
attacked by a bunch of dogs and proceeded to deal them enough kicks to send the
whole pack of them scampering in panic.
Yes, although we were not prepared for Ivan it brought out the best in many of us
one way or the other. According to the Colorado State University forecast team, 2007
promises to be another very active hurricane season.
Seventeen named storms are anticipated to form in the Atlantic Basin between June 1 and
November 30, 9 of which are predicted to become hurricanes and of those 9 five are
predicted to become intense or major hurricanes.
The Klotzbach’s team (formerly led by Dr. Gray) on the other hand when it issued it
first extended range forecast for the 2007 season predicted 14 named storms, 7 hurricanes
3 of category 3 or higher also above average activity.
In any event it promises to be a very active hurricane season and while I am convinced that
Grenadians are more aware now about hurricane preparedness the importance of being alert cannot be overemphasized.
The attack of two hurricanes in two years has taught us that we are vulnerable
and we can be attacked at any time.
It has shaken us out our sense of security and immunity and awakened us from
our reverie.
However, lest we start nodding bask into slumber the Barnacle’s annual hurricane
preparedness supplement is here to remind you once again that readiness is not an option but a
necessity.
We urge Grenadians to stay on their guard as one of these killer storms can strike at
any time.
We thank our advertisers for continuing to support this important annual supplement
by advertising their goods and services that can help the consumer to prepare
for a hurricane or other natural disaster.
Your support has been a key factor in the annual effort and we see it not only as
support to our publication but service to the people of the country.
By continuing to urge and remind them of how important it is to remain alert and to
be ready you are doing your shard in minimizing the damage that can be
wrought by natural disasters.
Once again thank you as we enter the 2007 hurricane season asking God for the best
but prepared for whatever He sees it fit to send in our direction.
Preparation is the
key to survival and
the instructions for
preparation can all be
found within the
pages of the Barnacle.
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