Not having lived in Jamaica for nearly 30 years, it was quite the experience seeing Hurricane Sandy in action from the front porch. I watched the roof lifting off a neighbour’s house, and see him scrambling up there using cement blocks to hold it in place. Although it was somewhat scary, there are important lessons I gleaned from the event.
Hurricane Sandy from the Front Porch in Jamaica
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Another View of Hurricane Sandy – From the Other Side of the House
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Preparation: We knew that Hurricane Sandy, a category one hurricane was coming to Jamaica, but we didn’t know when. My mom’s friends called to make sure that I was okay and one brought over some canned and dried food and bottled water because the supermarkets were packed. We had lots of candles and kerosene lamps. None of the flashlights worked even when we placed fresh batteries in them.
Don’t Go it Alone: Difficult experiences are easier to bear when you do not have to go it alone. My brother and niece returned to New York, and I am the only one left in Jamaica. Experiencing a hurricane was less daunting for me because the housekeeper stayed in the home with me. The power went off and the winds were very scary.
Evaluate: After walking around the house and surveying the damage from Hurricane Sandy, in the scheme of things, not much damage was done. Some people lost their homes, but we lost only branches from trees, and the fruits were blown from the trees. In three hours, the gardener was able to clear the debris, and he also cleared the debris from the roof.
The biggest lesson I learned from the experience is that it doesn’t matter how badly you think things are with you, others have it far worse. It was scary listening to the wind howling and tearing away branches from the trees, but I survived Hurricane Sandy and have lived to tell the tale.
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