irene is scheduled to pass through turks and caicos tomorrow (tuesday) at 8pm local time. it was a tropical storm and has been upgraded to a category one hurricane. i’ve never before experienced a hurricane so didn’t quite know how “things work”, and this is how it’s been so far;
the island was packed this morning, there was traffic everywhere, believe me this is so unusual, momentarilly i felt i was in a city! most petrol stations were closed as they ran out of petrol and the ones still open had neverending cues. we were advised to keep everything inside the house, furniture, bbq’s and anything that could fly with the wind, to make sure it will not make any damages. luckily our place has hurricane proof windows so we don’t need to board them up and our home is a safe shelter. our mobile company texted us advising to top up our phones, in case we have to do without internet and phone connection for a couple of days. we are also advised to stock up our pantry, staple food and water. ships with food containers for hotels and supermarkets will probably not be coming on island on the next days, the flights have been canceled and the airport is closed.unfortunately not everyone has a safe home – some hotels welcome their staff and families to shelter safely at work.
more on hurricane irene here
m y s e a s t o r y 
Hello,
As someone who lives in your neighbor to the south, Jamaica, and who has been through a few of these hurricanes, please be careful. Hurricanes are weird creatures who seem to have a mind of their own. One minute you hear they are not a danger, next minute they are category 4 and are ready to devour you. And vice versa of course.
Please take this one seriously. Normally hurricanes going up your way pass over Hispaniola and weaken or dissipate before they get to your islands. Unfortunately this time (and fortunately for the long suffering Haitians) Irene has somehow managed to avoid land since encountering Puerto Rico. That does not auger well for you.
In South Florida, when a hurricane approaches, there is an almighty migration of people out of the path of the storm. In our part of the world there is usually no where to go to so we build houses of concrete and steel and most of them can withstand really serious hurricanes. However, the weak link is often the roof. Even with hurricane strapping, in an extremely violent storm the roof will lift so do not assume that “hurricane proof” windows will guarantee you absolute safety.
My advice is to stock up like those who have lived there all their lives and prepare for the worst. Also, be cautious when using portable generators after the storm. In Jamaica, in the aftermath of these storms, we always have many injuries and sometimes deaths as a result of improper use of generators, many days after the storm has passed.
Take care, best of luck, and keep safe.
Hi Graham, thanks for the tips – we are keeping safe and hoping no one gets hurts.
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joana, just listen to Graham and be cautious. ask advise to the people who live there. good luck mum
Ola Lila, esta boa? como foi a viagem aos Acores?
do not worry, the island has been preparing for the hurricane season since July and we have stocked up on food and water at home also. this morning, I went to buy more evian just in case. we will stay in and watch movies with popcorn! :)
bjs
i´m skypping with joana and james. they’re all right. the wind is strong, but the category has gone to nº 1. they´re waiting, inside the house. let’s hope everything goes smoothly.
beijos M
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