MEDIA STORM WATCHING AND ADVICE

The presence of the first named storm formed in the Atlantic for the 2023 Hurricane Season has given added credence to words of advice uttered recently on the Radio Cayman programme Business Buzz hosted by Anita Khan.

The discussion was about the role of the media in hurricane preparedness and the guest was the publisher of Caymanian Times newspaper Ralph Lewis.

Their sharing of experiences of past storms that have impacted or swept uncomfortably close to Cayman may have been prescient.

Currently churning in the Atlantic on a heading that is expected to bring into the Caribbean Sea is Tropical Storm Bret, the first named storm to form in the Atlantic for the 2023 hurricane season.

At the start of the season on June 1st, Tropical Storm Arlene formed in the Gulf of Mexico near Florida.

According to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), on the forecast track, Bret was initially heading towards the  Lesser Antilles, possibly the Windward Islands, as a moderate tropical storm strength. It was forecast to slowly weaken after crossing the Lesser Antilles into the Caribbean Sea by the weekend.

And having a hurricane plan in place was the focus of the discussion between CT’s Ralph Lewis and Business Buzz’s Anita Khan in discussing the role of the media, especially during the hurricane season.

Commenting on a memory shared by the radio Cayman Business Buzz hist about host about Hurricane Ivan which slammed cayman in 20047, Mr Lewis said: “We bring back those memories in our editions during this time to remind people of what can happen before we forget. We have short memories and that’s when media comes in handy. Normally during the season, we have flashbacks with articles and photos to remind people how to prepare for hurricanes. What you should do on a regular basis, not just once but throughout the whole season.”

The disruption caused to personal and household budgets leading up to and in the aftermath of a storm was raised by programme host Anita Khan, to which CT’s publisher Ralph Lewis, a former banker, offered this advice.

“Hurricanes don’t know when it’s payday… I’m not trying to scare people but this is reality,” said. “There are many people out there who have it difficult as it is to feed their family on a regular basis. Hurricanes will add to that. And what you’re going to do?”

Putting on his financial advisor’s hat, Lewis advised that the best financial planning now is to have what he calls ‘a hurricane fund’ set aside and prioritise your spending.

“Think about cutting back on things. It’s the holiday season and you may want to go overseas and have a nice vacation with your family. That’s good, but put some of that money aside in case a hurricane comes this way.

“If you do have additional funds or surplus funds, please think about putting it into a savings account now and leave that there for the next six months. Because one of the most important things is to have cash when a hurricane is coming and after. You will have some money to go buy some food because you’re gonna need it.”

In addition to personal hurricane financial planning, former bank executive Lewis also had some advice for businesses when prompted by Business Buzz’s Khan.

“What I will say to any business owner or any senior official in the business, is stay calm. Someone has to be in control. You have to manage your emergencies well. Panicking does not help. And therefore if you’re a business owner, start to focus now on ‘how am I going to stick it out’. And how you stay calm is being prepared and have a plan of action.” he suggested.

“If you haven’t done it yet, now’s the time to sit down like I do, and put your hurricane game plan in place.”

Meanwhile, back to Bret, forecasters say that regardless of its strength, the storm will bring a risk of flooding to the Windward Islands from heavy rainfall, strong winds, and dangerous storm surge and waves. However, as far as its further immediate outlook is concerned, the hurricane experts at NOAA say ” Given the larger than usual uncertainty in the track forecast, it is too early to specify the location and magnitude of where these hazards could occur.”