That’s probably the reaction of most people to Tropical Storm Grace, which is expected to approach the Northeastern Caribbean on Friday. For now that is, because accurately predicting the path and timing of these systems has proven quite tricky in the recent past.
The good news is that the islands where this newspaper is distributed have four full working days to prepare, although – again – this could still change somewhat. If indeed the disturbance won’t reach the local area until the afternoon as the preliminary track indicates, schools conceivably could be kept open all week, although Friday might be calling it a little close.
It’s reassuring as well that Grace is not forecast to become a hurricane and should actually be back down to a tropical depression when it gets here. However, it must be pointed out once more that the projections are not always entirely correct and there remain uncertainties, as was evidenced last year October with Gonzalo.
In addition, it doesn’t necessarily take a named storm to create havoc, as St. Maarten learned not too long ago during a heavy downpour that caused severe flash-flooding during which two people in the street were killed. Not even a tropical wave had been reported on that occasion.
The meteorological experts and local authorities in charge of disaster management ultimately will have to determine the extent of this latest threatening storm and act accordingly, but readers definitely should monitor Grace’s progress and take whatever precautions are called for early, rather than waiting for the last minute when things get busy and people tend to become nervous.
Let’s hope this one turns out to be nothing in particular and only brings some welcome rain, but please don’t count on it. Having to keep getting ready over and over may seem frustrating or even annoying to many, but it’s a heck of a lot better than being caught off guard with all possible consequences.
