Thirty Years Ago

I must admit I was among the generation of Jamaicans who prior to September 12, 1988 did not experience a hurricane.  Yes, there was a bit of excitement somewhere within me when I heard that hurricane Gilbert was on a path to Jamaica. I wanted to see, and feel what a hurricane was like. I was a teenager then and of course if I knew then what would happen I would clearly exchange that stressful experience in a second.  My parents would have lived through hurricanes Charlie in 1951 and Flora in 1963; however, they did not speak much about those events. September 12, 1988 was no ordinary day. It was a September to remember for those who survived. The island of Jamaica was devastated by a powerful category 3 hurricane named Gilbert. Forty five (45) deaths were attributed to the passing of the hurricane. It was estimated that more than 500, 000 Jamaicans were homeless after the hurricane. Additionally, billions of dollars in damages to property and livestock were features of the passing of Gilbert.  Of course the emotional damage to the population was incalculable.  I dare say many Jamaicans suffered post traumatic disorder after the passage of Gilbert. I clearly remember we had a coconut tree in our yard and had it not been for the grace of God that tree would have been brought down by the ferocious winds of Gilbert. The fact is many trees came down during the hurricane. For those of us who had zinc roofs you could hear the zinc flapping up and down each time the wind got underneath. It is one of those sounds you are not likely to forget anytime soon, it had you on edge. Sadly, there was to come a time when there was no more flapping sound. It was then we realized that the entire roof of the backroom blew off.  The rain was persistent and continuous. Was this what the people of Biblical times went through during Noah and the Ark? After the rain eased we went into the roofless room and looked up in the heavens, it was unreal.   As soon as it was safe my brothers went to recover our roof which landed in the property behind. The days which followed were challenging to say the least. The furniture in that room was soaked; however, we managed to pull them out minutes before the roof migrated. We had to use a tarpaulin to cover the exposed lumber.  We had to eat canned foods for days, weeks and months. We became quite familiar with sardines, mackerel, corned beef, other canned meats such as tuna and salmon were not as popular then.  Thousands of Jamaicans were left without electricity including myself. In fact we had no electricity for some three (3) months as the Light and Power Company had to work assiduously to restore downed electricity poles. Kerosene Oil became a godsend, so too block ice. The lines to purchase those commodities rivaled those you saw at the United States Embassy back in the days. We had to purchase ice and store in a few small igloos we had.  Jamaica’s agriculture sector was almost wiped out. A significant portion of the population had no water. Those who have never experienced a hurricane do not begrudge those of us who have. The eye of hurricane Gilbert measured about 15 miles across. Wind speeds averaging 75 miles per hour (mph) gusting to 127 mph were recorded in the Kingston Metropolitan Area. As the eye exited western Jamaica at 6 p.m., it intensified further (888 millibars). The hurricane struck during the second week of the academic year 1988/1989. A number of schools had their roofs blown off and suffered other structural damages. Many churches and homes also suffered structural damages during the passing of this hurricane. The government of the day had to impose a State of Emergency due to looting which took place in many urban centres. It was a difficult period! The aftermath of Gilbert brought Jamaicans closer. I recall the morning after the passage of hurricane Gilbert, all who could walk did just that around the community inspecting and commenting on the damage done. It was a time to meet and chat with old friends and get acquainted with new ones. It was also a time to get to know your neighbour. There was no electricity so the transistor radio was the main source of information and entertainment. The Jamaica Broadcasting Company (JBC) and Radio Jamaica (RJR) were the primary media entities at the time. "Young bud nuh know starm" Thankfully, we survived hurricane Gilbert.
Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues.
waykam@yahoo.com
@WayneCamo