My colleague turned his phone to me and said, "Have you seen this?" Thinking that it was just another funny video created by one of the many internet users who are currently in lock-down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I braced myself. This time however, it was no joke! On August 4th, 2020, a warehouse… Continue reading Assessing and Responding to the Beirut Blast through the Use of Imagery and Mapping Techniques
July 2020 marks the 25th anniversary of the eruption of the Soufriere Hills Volcano on Montserrat and presents an opportune moment for reflection. I was only 13 years old at the time, but I do remember the chaos surrounding these events. It was a very uncertain time for those of us living in Montserrat. At … Read more
On Tuesday March 17, 2020 with a cancelled celebration of St. Patrick's Day, Montserrat received the dreaded news of its first confirmed case of novel coronavirus COVID-19. For many of us that is when the gravity of this situation hit home, literally! The Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS), in their press release (http://www.gov.ms/first-case-of-new-coronavirus-covid-19-confirmed-in-montserrat/), … Read more
My three year old is fascinated with counting. Probably one of the most memorable instances of her enthrallment was her sounding off “1, 2, 3, 4” as a family of sisters occupied the bench directly behind us in church. “Four, Mommy, Four!” she shouted as she also pointed it out on her fingers. Seen … Read more
The earthquake events of August 21, 2018 which shook Venezuela, Trinidad and other neighbouring countries (https://www.usgs.gov/news/magnitude-73-earthquake-venezuela) reminded me that not all disasters can be predicted or come with a warning. Videos which showed the impact of the earthquake quickly filled my social media timeline, causing me to reflect on the training I had undergone as … Read more
I am no stranger to the impact of disasters having survived Hurricane Hugo in 1989, and witnessed the Soufriere Hills Volcano disrupt everything I knew about life in Montserrat since 1995. As I listened to the reports on the experience of our neighbouring islanders who were affected by the super hurricanes of 2017, Irma and … Read more
