Dear Editor,
Please allow me some space in your newspaper to address the people.
Fellow citizens, neighbours and friends it is high time we pay some serious attention to hurricane Irma that is threatening our area. Most of us like to believe that we have time to put everything in place before the onslaught. Experience has shown how wrong that can turn out to be.
The preparation for these types of meteorological phenomena is and will remain a yearly ritual, as we are in the hurricane belt and will continue to be so. We can no longer rely on the afterthought of what we could or should have done; the time to act is now.
This hurricane [yesterday – Ed.], Sunday, September 3 is fluctuating between three and four on the [Saffir-Simpson – Ed.] scale which makes it a huge, dangerous and life-threatening storm. In the past few hours it has shifted somewhat southward bringing it almost directly over neighbouring Anguilla.
With reports of hurricane force winds extending fifteen miles from the centre and gale-force winds up to sixty miles out, we will experience serious weather affecting lives, businesses and the economy which is now struggling to rebound at about point five per cent.
If we are convinced we have nothing to do and a lot of time to do it in, please use this time to batten down the hatches. Good sense tells us that waiting for the last minute is foolhardy. Our country needs all of your contributions so it behoves us all if you can remain clear of harm’s way.
To all our NVs: a day or two of no activity is better than months of getting back to normal. Don’t be afraid to err on the side of caution and shut it down, we will deal with that later. There is nothing to see outside in a storm if you are not a first-responder or emergency personnel; keep the streets clear for you would only add to the problem.
Listen to your radio and follow and obey the instructions given by the authorities. Your safety and the protection of life and property is their main concern and they are experienced in dealing with hurricanes, counting the number we had since 1995. Fellow St. Maarteners, be safe and I hope we meet again after the storm. It is truly a lot better to be safe than sorry. Good luck and blessings to us all.
Elton Jones
