- my iParenting
- quick clicks
- home style today articles
- home style today q&a
- traveling today articles
- traveling today q&a
- community & groups
- research baby names
- prepare a birth plan
- content channels
- ip channel rss feeds
- read birth stories
- read parenting stories
- recommended books
- e-newsletters
- safety recalls
- ip diaries
- ip store
- mom of the month
- dad of the month
- editor's letter
- letters to the editor
From Our Sponsors
- e-newsletters
- Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters
- award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Hurricane Dean Was Mean
A Family's Firsthand Account of Riding out the Storm in Jamaica
By Jill Weinlein
On our second morning at the Beaches Sandy Bay resort in Jamaica, we heard a CNN broadcast from the National Weather Center stating that "Hurricane Dean, the first major hurricane and first Category 5 of the 2007 Atlantic hurricane season, is headed for Jamaica." As we dressed, we noticed a letter under our door. It was a hurricane-warning letter from management, urging us to attend an informational meeting about Hurricane Dean building in the West Indies and predicted to hit Jamaica by Sunday.
Weather in the Caribbean can be unpredictable, especially during hurricane season from May to November. Jamaica has experienced some major and minor hurricanes in the last 30 years. Would this be another major hurricane to hit the island?
The staff at Beaches Sandy Bay went into hurricane emergency mode days before the hurricane hit, keeping guests informed with morning and evening meetings in the lobby. Printed maps and information from CNN and weather Web sites were posted on bulletin boards to keep guests aware of its location, size and strength. The National Hurricane Center on August 18 stated, "Jamaica will receive 5 to 10 inches of rain with a maximum of up to 20 inches." A plan to move all the guests to second- and third-floor rooms in the buildings farthest from the beach would take place the day before the hurricane arrived.
Management encouraged guests to leave the island, offering to help with travel arrangements. With phone lines jammed, and threats of the airport closing on Saturday, we felt safer at the resort than traveling and waiting hours at the airport for a possible flight home. For those who stayed, management vowed they would do everything possible to keep guests and their belongings safe and secure.