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Remembering and learning from Gilbert
Monday, September 14, 2009
For many of us, especially those who were adults at the time, some memories of Hurricane Gilbert are as fresh as yesterday's - though as Mr Karyl Walker reminded us in the Sunday Observer, the monster storm struck all of 21 years ago.
In a real sense, as Mr Walker's story points out, Gilbert transformed the way Jamaicans viewed disaster. Between Hurricane Charlie in 1951 and Gilbert, Jamaicans had become used to storms threatening and then sliding by - at times harmlessly, sometimes with a sideswipe that had only peripheral effect on the bulk of the population. For many, the warnings from the disaster agencies transmitted via the news media became something of a joke. So that when Gilbert tore through the centre of the island wreaking death and destruction, the majority of Jamaicans were totally unprepared.
In line with the old belief that out of even something bad will come some good, the experience of Gilbert has made life easier for those agencies and workers whose job it is to alert Jamaicans on how to protect themselves in disasters and emergencies.
But to get back to those memories. We remember the driving rain and the terrifying ferocity of the winds, the likes of which Jamaicans have not seen since. We remember the ugly grating sound as zinc roofing began to lift and the fear deep down in the stomach as the galvanised sheets ripped and went flying. We remember the passage of the 'eye' - the uncanny calm, broken only by the 'bang, bang, bang' of people hammering away, feverishly striving to nail down loose roofing and reinforce windows before the resumption of the onslaught.
We remember the awful sense of depression and loss that Tuesday morning, when we looked out to see wide open spaces where there had been clusters of trees, entire houses bare to the elements with furniture and appliances destroyed, utility poles flat on the ground or at an angle. We remember the fear that the State may have lost control as some people who had been thought of as decent and law-abiding joined gangs of looters. We remember the long wait for the resumption of piped water and even longer for electricity.
But we would be remiss were we to forget the goodness, courage and sacrifice that Gilbert triggered. We remember the kindness and concern of the rest of the world - the flood of gifts of food, water, medicines and construction materials. We remember the essential service workers who, in the days immediately after the storm, walked to their jobs because many roads were impassable to motor vehicles and laboured for long hours to ensure the safety of the nation and its people.
Most of all, in the days and weeks immediately after the storm, <span style="font-weight: bold">we remember how Jamaicans came together to help and support each other as they never had before in living memory. <span style="font-weight: bold">For a short time class and economic distinctions went through the window. Neighbours looked out for each other, sharing water, food, money, anything that would make life easier for the less fortunate.</span></span>
That last memory is one many of us will nurture for the rest of our lives. If only we could rekindle that sense of sharing and giving in this time of dire economic strife.
Monday, September 14, 2009
For many of us, especially those who were adults at the time, some memories of Hurricane Gilbert are as fresh as yesterday's - though as Mr Karyl Walker reminded us in the Sunday Observer, the monster storm struck all of 21 years ago.
In a real sense, as Mr Walker's story points out, Gilbert transformed the way Jamaicans viewed disaster. Between Hurricane Charlie in 1951 and Gilbert, Jamaicans had become used to storms threatening and then sliding by - at times harmlessly, sometimes with a sideswipe that had only peripheral effect on the bulk of the population. For many, the warnings from the disaster agencies transmitted via the news media became something of a joke. So that when Gilbert tore through the centre of the island wreaking death and destruction, the majority of Jamaicans were totally unprepared.
In line with the old belief that out of even something bad will come some good, the experience of Gilbert has made life easier for those agencies and workers whose job it is to alert Jamaicans on how to protect themselves in disasters and emergencies.
But to get back to those memories. We remember the driving rain and the terrifying ferocity of the winds, the likes of which Jamaicans have not seen since. We remember the ugly grating sound as zinc roofing began to lift and the fear deep down in the stomach as the galvanised sheets ripped and went flying. We remember the passage of the 'eye' - the uncanny calm, broken only by the 'bang, bang, bang' of people hammering away, feverishly striving to nail down loose roofing and reinforce windows before the resumption of the onslaught.
We remember the awful sense of depression and loss that Tuesday morning, when we looked out to see wide open spaces where there had been clusters of trees, entire houses bare to the elements with furniture and appliances destroyed, utility poles flat on the ground or at an angle. We remember the fear that the State may have lost control as some people who had been thought of as decent and law-abiding joined gangs of looters. We remember the long wait for the resumption of piped water and even longer for electricity.
But we would be remiss were we to forget the goodness, courage and sacrifice that Gilbert triggered. We remember the kindness and concern of the rest of the world - the flood of gifts of food, water, medicines and construction materials. We remember the essential service workers who, in the days immediately after the storm, walked to their jobs because many roads were impassable to motor vehicles and laboured for long hours to ensure the safety of the nation and its people.
Most of all, in the days and weeks immediately after the storm, <span style="font-weight: bold">we remember how Jamaicans came together to help and support each other as they never had before in living memory. <span style="font-weight: bold">For a short time class and economic distinctions went through the window. Neighbours looked out for each other, sharing water, food, money, anything that would make life easier for the less fortunate.</span></span>
That last memory is one many of us will nurture for the rest of our lives. If only we could rekindle that sense of sharing and giving in this time of dire economic strife.
oh bwoy
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