Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Sandy: the aftermath

It has been a wild week, not only in Jamaica, but in all the other coastal areas that were in Hurricane Sandy's path. I have spent the week watching the people of Negril's Seven Mile Beach prepare for, withstand and recover from the impacts of the storm. I would never have imagined how far-reaching the economic and environmental impacts of the storm have been - and we were not even in the worst of the storm. The many people who sell fruits, baked goods and crafts on the beach have not been able to work all week. The fishing and tourist boats also have not been able to work, at first, because the sea was too rough and now the boats have been blocked in the river after a huge sandbar developed at the river's mouth. We haven't been able to swim in the ocean for 6 days, but we are hoping that the water will be calm enough tomorrow.  I certainly have a new appreciation for the long-lasting and wide-ranging effects of a storm and am thinking of everyone who has been affected by Sandy.

Here is a short video showing what life in Negril has been like over the past few days.

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