Hurricane Gilbert Anniversary

“You can dance in a hurricane, but only if you are standing in the eye.”- Brandi Carlile. Do you remember Hurricane Gilbert? If you do I am sure you have a story or two to share. September 12, 1988 was an unforgettable day for Jamaica. 1988 was a memorable year in more ways than one; it was my first time travelling. My dad had promised me a trip to Canada if I passed my Common Entrance Examinations. The Common Entrance Examination was done to place students in a secondary school. This examination was done in grades 5 and 6; however, students who were born in the last four months had three chances to sit this national assessment. It was very common in those days for parents to use incentives or rewards in order to motivate their children to excel. I visited Canada that summer and spent time with my Aunt Carter and her family as well as Cousin Valerie and her family. I met my Aunt June and Aunt Grant as well. Sadly, both Aunts Carter and Grant and Cousin Valerie have passed. I had a wonderful summer. I went fishing for the first and only time with my cousins. As the saying goes nothing lasts forever only salvation. Thirty-three years ago Hurricane Gilbert ripped through Jamaica with winds of up to 125 mph. On Monday, September 12, 1988, Hurricane Gilbert made a direct hit on Jamaica, unleashing its fury and a trail of destruction, death and devastation. At the end of the ordeal 45 Jamaicans were killed, many of whom died from being injured from flying debris. Houses were damaged, leaving many people homeless and millions of dollars in damage to property and infrastructure. Jamaica’s agricultural sector was almost wiped out as a result of the passage of Hurricane Gilbert, so too our tourism sector. Due to the extensive damage caused by Gilbert, the World Meteorological Organization retired the name in 1989 and replaced it with Gordon. The hurricane left many streets in Kingston and many other areas littered with downed utility poles, billboards, trees, satellite dish and other debris. The island’s electricity and water supply were severely affected as well. The sole electricity provider Jamaica Public Service Company had a challenging time restoring power to their clients. The same is also true of the island’s sole water provider the National Water Commission. Our community had no electricity for close to 3 months; however, we had water throughout and after Hurricane Gilbert. Hurricane Gilbert was a nightmare for many Jamaicans. We had an ice factory close to home and my brother Bryan would visit in the mornings to purchase ice which was stored in our igloos. It was a luxury to have some iced cold water or anything cold for that matter. There were fights and scuffles at the Happy Ice Factory as customers fought their way to ensure they got some ice to take back home. On the other hand many of us wanted to experience a hurricane. During the eye of Hurricane Gilbert, we went for a stroll on the avenue and everything seems rather well. We did not know that this imagery would not last. Shortly thereafter the rain started again, however, this time it was unrelenting and scary. We soon realized this was not your average hurricane. As children we stood on the verandah and watched the trees, mainly coconut trees swayed to and fro, in fact we had a huge coconut tree which danced all throughout Hurricane Gilbert, luckily for us this coconut tree withstood the ferocious winds which at one point reached 175 mph. While we watched the devastation of Hurricane Gilbert, little did we know that the roof from our back room was getting ready to migrate to the printery which was to the back of our home. It seems Hurricane Gilbert spent an entire day over Jamaica. Before Social Media The media landscape in 1988 was so different from what it is now. There was only one newspaper and a few radio stations. There was no WhatsApp nor Twitter nor Facebook or any of the other social media entities which we now have at our disposal. Thankfully we had a battery powered transistor radio which kept us informed regarding the development prior, during and after Hurricane Gilbert. It was a long and exhausting day however, more devastation would befall us. Initially, we heard as if the nails which held the roof in place were being uprooted. We soon realized something was wrong, dreadfully wrong. My brothers and I removed the furniture from the back room we shared as boys. One by one we removed the dresser, the bed, the wall robe and other smaller items. Shortly thereafter we were looking at the overcast sky; the roof lifted and went behind us. My first experience with depression was during Hurricane Gilbert. My brothers immediately jumped into action and went over to the printer which now had part of our roof. In a telephone conversation with my brother he told me how they had to dismantle the roof and threw the pieces over our home. Night was approaching and it was still raining, we had to retrieve an old tarpaulin and cover the un-roof section of the house. It took a few weeks before the roof was repaired; it was a challenge to find good carpenters who were all in demand. 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. We had to eat canned food for weeks and weeks. It was a challenging time for many Jamaicans. My siblings Steve, Peaches and our parents Fitzroy and Vinette all pulled through. Jamaicans are resilient and we pulled through. Hurricane Gilbert was able to unify the Jamaican population which is a difficulty to do, perhaps only our World Cup qualification to France would equal this unifying effect that Hurricane Gilbert had on the population. In recent years due to global warming we have been experiencing more severe hurricanes as mankind continues to pay little attention to matters concerning the environment and we become more volatile to the wrath of nature. In the words of Diane Ackerman, hurricane season brings a humbling remainder that, despite our technologies, most of nature remains unpredictable. 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 © #HurricaneGilbert