Vox pop: Residents singing ‘preparation’ tune

Amid uncertainty about the extent to which category 5 Hurricane Irma will affect the British Virgin Islands (BVI), residents told BVI News Online that they are not taking the appeals for them to be prepared lightly.

They shared their views in a vox pop conducted in Road Town, which, like elsewhere in the BVI, has been under a hurricane warning since last night.

Francisco Knight said he is hoping for the best because he thinks the BVI, especially Tortola, cannot handle another weather-related woe at this time.

“I hope that thing ain’t come to this here, because Tortola can’t take anything else. Tortola already mash up, you check? I want that thing move away to someplace else, because Tortola very bad right now. If it come to Tortola it gonna be plenty problem.”

“We ain’t making fun. This is big bad Irma! We taking it serious,” said Tortola resident Christine Taylor.

“I think, after the bad [tropical wave] we had a couple of weeks ago, there are some loose soil and rocks and I think BVIslanders have been watching this hurricane carefully. From Saturday, all the hardwares – all the supermarkets have been busy, busy, busy.”

Another resident, Patrick Smith, urged others not to take the hurricane for granted.

“Sometimes the thing that you take for granted is the thing that hurts you. So everybody should be trying to get whatever food they need – whether board up they house; do something. Prepare. This here shouldn’t be taken for granted. I don’t know how anyone else feel, but that’s just my feelings towards this warning.”

A female resident, who asked not to be named, is also singing the ‘preparation’ tune. “Whether it hits us hard or not, it is better to be prepared and safe than to just be optimistic and think that it’s not going to be that serious, and [end up] not being alive to be sorry.”

An Englishman who goes by the name John told BVI News Online: “I’ve been living here a long time, and I’m more worried about this one than any other since I’ve been here.”

 

A Frenchman’s Cay resident, who goes by the name Girda, said she is also hoping for the best.

“I am not too worried, but I think it’s serious and I think people should be aware and prepare just in case. From past experience, it could happen. We’re hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst. I’m concerned about my windows because I don’t have shutters for the windows. There’s not much I can do other than make sure the windows are closed.”