Trembling in anticipation of Tomas

I quaked in my shoes when I heard that another tropical storm was heading in our direction.  We still haven’t recovered from Nicole’s fury and the damage that it caused to our infrastructure.  Is there anything we can do to lessen the effect of these storms?

Well this season is reported to be an active one so we will no doubt have several more storms on the horizon.  

If more rain is dumped on the island this will further compromise our already fragile roads.  I think we should reconsider how we build homes in Jamaica.  There are some homes which are obviously unable to weather the storms that lash our island.

A friend of mine suggested that the rivers are reclaiming their former paths regardless of whatever is in their way.  So maybe we should also look at where we build housing settlements in the future.

In the meantime, let us make the necessary precautions for Tomas.

• Buy tinned food
• Have candles, flashlights nearby
• Store water in clean containers
• Secure awnings and satellite dishes
• Keep phones fully charged
• Secure windows/roofs

If you live in a low-lying area, listen to the news bulletins and be safe!

 Teri Ann Renee Paisley (Gleaner on-line writer)

Tags: damage, flood, roads, storm, Tomas, tropical