Carribean Sunsets and.... Hurricane Dean

On an impulse I decided to add a quick trip to Jamaica for some sun and surf before heading home (thought a tan would be a nice touch). I arrived on Wednesday the 15th and enjoyed one idealic day in tropical paradise. Then along came Hurricane Dean!

Hurricane Dean was the first hurricane for 2007 Atlantic season and one of the most severe on record. On Friday 17th August Jamaica started to receive notifications that Hurricane Dean was building strength and heading straight for the island. Check out the picture showing the hurricane and the yellow outline of Jamaica!

Two days before the hurricane....

• Call the airport (are there any flights off the island?). NO!
• Travel back to Montigo Bay (to be closer to the airport). I was in Negril, about 1 hour west.
• Find a hotel off the beach, out of flooding zone and away from hills with mud slide possibilities.
• Do a quick shop for supplies (I was advised to buy water, candles and bully beef!).

One day before the hurricane....

• Freak out when it is predicated that Dean will be a Category 5 by the time it reaches Jamaica and will be a direct hit.
• Try and find another hotel (mine was very small, and I thought a bigger one would be a bit safer), but everywhere is full!
• Phone the airline again... Are you sure that there are not any planes leaving the island, I can hear them flying out!
• Abide by the national curfew (which was in place 2 days before the hurricane hit - to avoid problems with looting etc).
• Watch as the hotel boards up windows and glass doors.

The Day of the hurricane....

• Listen to the Prime Minister of Jamaica give a national address and call a state of emergency.
• Watch the weather channel (who called Dean a "terrifying catastrophic hurricane").. Things looking slightly better. The hurricane is passing the south of the island (I am in the North), but 'could wobble'. What the heck is a wobble!
• Get the room organised and plan best way to stay safe. Put up towels on the windows, move all furniture away from the doors, took down anything that could fly around, set up the bathroom (this was where I was heading if it got really bad). Work out strategy for putting matress up against the french doors.
• 3.00pm day of hurricane.. Power goes out. I am stuck in my room with no power and no information.
• I am just waiting and watching the rain gets heavier and the wind blows harder and harder. Hope that tree doesn't blow over into my room!
• 8.00pm fall asleep exhaused from all the waiting.

The day after the hurricane...

• Power and water still out.
• Found out the island was spared a direct hit, with Dean's eye passing just to the south Sunday night. Still experienced winds up to 240km/h. More info can be viewed in the Age, Wikipedia and NPR. CNN also have some great live footage also.
• Head to the aiport (my Sunday flight was cancelled, and I had been rescheduled to Monday 1.30pm). However, all AA flights had been cancelled and I was told my next available flight not for another four days!
• Phone the airline every few hours. Phone Qantas and advise I will miss my flight home.
• Get call from Australian High Commission to make sure I am ok. Yes, using the australian travel registory does work. How great is that.. I love my country!

Two days after the hurricane..

• Head to the airport at 8.00am to line up in the standbye cue. Lots of very irate people who can not get flights home. Almost a mob scene.
• Go on standby for a 2.30pm flight. Wait at the airport some more.
• 4.30pm finally leave Jamaica on a flight recalled from Guatamala. Power and water still out in Jamaica.
• Arrive at Miami, missing all connecting flights to LA. Looks like another night waiting.

Three days after the hurricane....

• Get on a flight to LA, and here I am waiting for my flight to Sydney. YIPPY. Three days late, but most importantly I am safe!