Hurricane? No problem

Many residents of Port Royal see the passage of a hurricane or tropical storm as a joyous occasion and so they ignored repeated pleas from officials to vacate the low-lying coastal Kingston community as Hurricane Beryl inched closer on Wednesday.

Just after midday, when the rain began to intensify, many residents were perched on their porches, conversing in groups without any hint of concern.

Even as the lone access road to the community lay under a bed of water, the residents were unperturbed.

Among those unbothered was 57-year-old Renaldo Barnett, who told The Gleaner that he looks forward to the thrill of experiencing the angry waves, fierce winds and torrential rain whenever a serious weather system threatens the island.

“It happens every time. Even when is not a storm, it happens,” he began.

“I see from Gilbert coming to this one. So I see it all, so I don’t see no reason to leave now. I was happy fi see Gilbert, but when I see Gilbert, I knew how serious it is, but as serious as it was, I still wanted to be in Port Royal,” Barnett continued.

The admirer of these acts of nature said he gained a profound understanding of the true dangers of tropical storms and hurricanes when Hurricane Gilbert struck in 1988, when he was just 21 years old.

“I enjoying it (Hurricane Beryl) so far. It was fun looking at Gilbert, y’know, as a smaller person. I looked at Gilbert as fun, but at least I see the impact weh Gilbert did make. I even know what hurricane is all about. Then I see Ivan, and I see Dean, and I see Sandy, I see it all. So we welcome Beryl; we will see you, too,” he said.

The career musician added that although he sits in anticipation of storms, he does not revel in the damage in their wake.

Referring to Hurricane Beryl’s victims across the Caribbean thus far, he said, “We glad to see some of them pull through. Who lost them life, we’re sorry about it, but at the end of the day, a just so it go.

“We not going to leave Port Royal no time at all. We love Port Royal when is storm time and we happily ride out this one like how we ride out all of them,” he trumpeted.

There were six Hurricane Beryl-related fatalities before it reached Jamaica.

RELUCTANT TO LEAVE

As the island braced for the effects of the hurricane on Wednesday, Kingston Mayor Andrew Swaby and Councillor Lorraine Dobson urged residents to evacuate the flood-prone community before their situation became dire.

Swaby noted that despite rising tides that inundated the main road leading to Port Royal, residents were reluctant to leave their homes to stay at shelters. He said the councillor for the area, who lives in Port Royal, left the community but was unable to convince the residents to leave.

“They feel comfortable that they can ride it out and there is nothing else that we can do,” Swaby told The Gleaner.

Later, Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie renewed the call at a press briefing.

Though Councillor Dobson claimed that 20 per cent of the population of the town had evacuated prior to Hurricane Beryl’s arrival, McKenzie said he was unsatisfied.

Emphasising that “enough is enough”, he said, “We will examine what the act (the Disaster Resilience Management Act) gives us the authority to do and we will consider it and we will take the necessary steps when it becomes necessary.”

The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management said that of Wednesday afternoon, 488 people were in shelters across the island.

Though not keen on shelters himself, Barnett maintained that as a hurricane veteran, he believes it is safest to follow the directives of the Government within reason.

“My biggest hurricane tip is just to follow the necessary hurricane precautions. But if you don’t want to leave, it’s up to you. But that don’t mean we glad to stay, y’know, but we just not going to leave. I not going to no shelter because sometimes the shelter needs shelter.”

Cloaked in a mustard raincoat and keeping a smile on his face, he said, “I am looking forward to seeing what Beryl have to offer us.”

shanel.lemmie@gleanerjm.com