That Nicole is a B%$#@!

You know, back in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans, I took a break from watching the 24-hour news coverage on it and thought to myself, "Damn, I'd hate to be named Katrina right now." Well, whadayaknow... Tropical Storm Nicole has mashed up Jamaica over the past few days and will continue to do so through the weekend.  I've never been scared of rain, but I've been thoroughly frightened the last two nights finding myself wanting Negasi to run to me in fear of the lightning and thunder just so that I wouldn't feel so bad.  He was fine with it all.  Lots of running and exaggerated and prolonged screams, but this was all for fun.

Seriously though, Nicole is a bitch.  She's destroyed numerous roads, bridges, farmlands and homes across the island.  9 people are said to have passed as a result.  The destruction caused by the storm raises many concerns around Jamaica's infrastructure.  One of the most tragic incidents occurred just minutes away from my first residence in an area called Sandy Gully.  A family of six was inside of a home built on a gully whose wall collapsed during the storm.  Subsequently, this home and two others, which were vacant, also collapsed.  I think the following comment made by a reader of one of Jamaica's newspapers encapsulates very well my initial thoughts when I heard this awful story.

 Sorry about the loss of lives.

Jamaicans please stop building your homes on gully banks. Life is hard and much poverty exist, but I learnt in sunday school in the 60's, the foolish man build his house upon the sand and the rain came tumbling down. The rain came down and the floods went up and the house on the sand went splash.

Look at the homes on Red Hills Road Sandy Gully bank, mushrooming like wild fire. Is no one looking? The government must address this with the same conviciton they went about in their defense of particular citizens. The lives of the Jamaica people are important, poverty is real, hard life is real, but come up with a solution. Singapore provide homes for its citizens with stringent rules and regulations. Jamaicans, become discipline and let the rules work, it is for your benefit in the long run. No more homes on gully bank, river bank or river bed no matter. Doing as you like will only cost more lives. The sea always come back and claim its course.  

  

Pray for the families affected by the storm.

Peace and LOVE.