There was quite a bit of grumbling especially early Wednesday about the move to keep local schools closed due to the passing tropical wave. Up to that point it hadn’t rained much and wasn’t very windy either.
However, once it started pouring later in the morning some changed their minds, taking into account that the Saunders/St. Peters/South Reward cul-de-sac where most schools are concentrated is known
to be a flood-prone area. In addition, a number of tree branches, billboards, signs and fences were blown down by relatively strong wind gusts.
Nevertheless the timing of the announcement Tuesday close to midnight remained a concern. Education Minister Silveria later said it was still better than the same day, but many did not find out until they were already on the way to or at school and had been forced to turn back.
For working parents it can be a nightmare scenario, because if there is nobody else at home to watch their children they may need to try to find alternative arrangements for them. Having to do so at the last minute obviously doesn’t make it any easier.
Then Government as well as several of its companies and agencies decided to cease operations at noon, while businesses were also advised to close. This was supposedly done based on information from the Met Office, but in reality there was hardly any more inclement weather neither by that time nor afterwards.
The message also led to a certain degree of confusion, as a few people mistook it for the usual curfew in case of major storms. Perhaps authorities should consider either making the private sector shut down or not in the future, rather than leaving it up to individuals.
In spite of all that, the effects of these disturbances are hard to predict in detail, so a “safety first” policy is understandable. Judging in hindsight is one thing, handling the responsibility of calling the shots beforehand and during such an event quite another.
