Do we take hurricanes and storms seriously?

EDITOR: Evelyn: Ava, can you turn on the radio for me please? I do not want to miss the 6:00 p.m news.

Radio Announcer: In today’s news, St. Vincent and the Grenadines is currently under a hurricane warning. Hurricane Kyle is expected to pass over St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the next 12 hours, and it is expected to be a category one hurricane with sustained winds of 95 mph, producing 10 inches of rain. This hurricane should be taken seriously. I am appealing to persons to stock up on food stuff, medication, clean drinking water, keep a battery operated radio, and remember to cut over hanging trees surrounding your house. Persons should also stay away from the beach and rivers to avoid getting swept away.

Ava: Turn off the radio, every hurricane season is the same thing over and over. Last year when tropical storm Andrew was expected, I bought a lot of food stuff, store up a lot of water and the storm changed direction and went north. This year I would not be wasting my time and money preparing for any hurricane. God is a Vincentian god, no hurricane would hit us.

Evelyn: It is better to be safe than sorry. My advice to you- always be prepared for any storm or hurricane, you do not want to be caught off guard during a storm or hurricane.

Ava: I am going home to sleep and watch TV, I don’t have time with hurricane Kyle.

Five days after hurricane Kyle:

Evelyn: My phone is finally getting signal. Let me call Ava and see how she is doing. Good morning Ava, how you doing?

Ava: Morning Evelyn, that hurricane caught me off guard. I had limited food and water for the past couple of days and my stomach was paining a lot because I got gas from lack of food. I was also dehydrated. The mango tree that was overhanging my house, fell and damage my house roof. In the future, I would always prepare for any storm or hurricane.

Evelyn: I am happy you learn from your mistakes. Hurricanes and storms should be taken seriously. In the blinking of an eye, hurricanes and storms can get extremely strong. Climate change is causing the ocean to get warmer. When hurricanes and storms travel across [the] warmer ocean, they pull in more water vapour and heat. This means stronger wind, heavier rainfall, and more flooding when the storm or hurricane hits land.

Kimani Wiseman