Gustav...the perfect storm?

It started on Tuesday. At work. One of the computers was opened with a satellite image of a storm over Haiti. "What is that, a hurricane, haha" I said, passing by. "Maybe", my boss said quite seriously. "well now... what's it called? Gustav?"

I didn't understand nor took it too seriously. Yes, the hurricane season was opened on 1st of June. Yes, 4 years ago there was Ivan. Al thou the island has been 100% rebuilt after the 2004 grade 5 hurricane, I have seen plenty of pictures, on books and private collections. What force is enough to bring a huge fridge from inside a normal, big villa and smack it in 2 in the middle of the yard, 100 m away? What takes a jeep and brings it in the middle of the pool?

Well... still these stories seemed far away. Not this year, it is one in 200 years of that magnitude. I still hope that. But, as Gustav kept bouncing back and forth from tropical storm to hurricane status, and slowly progressing towards us, the good inhabitants of Cayman Islands became prepared.

It is very unusual for an European that has not experienced anything like this before.
All the houses seem to have their eyes closed. With hurricane shutters, or for the cheaper versions, with pieces of wood hammered across. Everybody got dozens of cans and water and candles. Some cars, and even 2 small plains, have been safely parked across the few, rare, higher places of the island. Everything is shutting.

Even us...the hospital is empty. The 4 full time residents have been fostered. Not far away, the Humane Society shelter is also trying hard to evict the animals. I have one of them, a big dog called Molly. We're only doing very big emergencies for the days to come.

It's right now across Jamaica, moving slowly (which is bad) and has been quite unpredictable. One can only meditate thou on the modern technology available...100 years ago such hurricanes were deadly and unexpected.

I...am quiet. Took the dogs to the beach tonight, watched a fantastic sunset. The quiet before the storm. Nothing announced Gustav's closeness...

And yet, as I was safely tucked in tonight in front of the computer, all of a sudden, the more then normal winds have turned into very serious winds. More then I remember them in a terrible night on the ridge of Fagaras (that is my personal worse). And a rush of rain, beyond any torential rain I have experienced before.

And it is still in Jamaica, and these small storms are only the messengers....
Brrrr.... Keeping you posted provided the net doesn't break down, which it will eventually together with the water and electricity, which will be shut down even just for safety measures.

It is still 18 hours away...