| As Hurricane Earl bid its adieu to the Federation and other Leeward Islands, there was a collective sigh of relief that the damage sustained was not greater, as well as the fact that the storm caused no loss of life.
However, and unfortunately, the worst may not be over from the Atlantic hurricane season. At press time, Tropical Storm Gaston had already formed on the heels of Earl and Fiona, becoming the fourth named storm in a two-week span.
The new weather tempest, whose projected path aims directly toward the islands in the Eastern Caribbean, currently has sustained winds of 40 mph. However, its wind speeds are expected to increase and could reach hurricane levels by late Saturday or early Sunday.
So, after a long lull, predictions that the 2010 hurricane season would be “active to extremely active” seem to be coming true. According to pioneering tropical storm forecaster William Gray, the most active portion of the season is from Aug. 20 to about Oct. 20.
Locally, officials such as National Disaster Coordinator (NDC) Carl Herbert gave laudatory comments on the national level of preparedness, crediting residents for the minimal amount of property damage. As it does every time around this time, possessing an effectively communicated national disaster plan in place can often mean the difference between live and death.
Measured by such a standard, NEMA and the NDC have more than passed the test. Information on matters of vital importance, such as the current emergency shelters, have been widely disseminated through the media, and Herbert himself has been more than available for comment on any storm-related issue.
Also deserving praise are the clean-up crews from the Public Works Department, who virtually erased most signs of Earl’s passage in an extremely expeditious manner. Plaudits definitely also go to technicians from the Electricity Department who risked life and limb to restore downed power lines and poles as the storm raged.
Looking forward, we will now see exactly what “active” really means, and how many storms will pass this way after forming near the west coast of Africa. Those that originate around the Cape Verde islands tend to be of the larger and more intense variety. That was true of Hurricane Earl, and most seasons only feature two such storms, on average.
With Earl moving on to become a huge Category 4 storm now menacing the U.S. coast, and Fiona never developing into a true threat, residents of the Federation are justifiably exhaling in relief, but the country’s resolve will likely be tested further. |
