Today, many people across the world are very apprehensive about the way ahead out of this global pandemic.  Yet, before things get better, we must cross over the worst of it.

There was great anxiety about how Jamaicans would manage restrictions on their movement, and how the yawning social divide, with its classist values, would impact on the lives of those who are less fortunate. Well, here we are, battering along in this the fourth month of a leap year that is everything my mother warned me about.

Coming out of an Easter weekend during which movement was severely curtailed by the tightening of curfew restrictions, and continued calls for a full lockdown of the country, we were met with Tuesday’s spike in confirmed COVID-19 cases and the announcement of the lockdown of St Catherine effective on Wednesday morning. The panicked flight of many out of St Catherine on Tuesday night underscored the fear and anxiety of many individuals.

A full lockdown of Jamaica seems to be looming close on the horizon. But, even with the Government’s roll-out of various COVID-19 assistance packages and efforts by many private entities and citizens, we must collectively work to ensure that those who face hard times under normal circumstances are not left out in the proverbial cold in this very unique set of circumstances.

I am keeping my fingers crossed that the fallout will be minimal. Yet many questions abound as we try to see beyond this strange timeline. What of the way forward? Will our lives return to the same patterns that existed pre-COVID-19?

There are two recent enough historical events that impacted on Jamaicans and which resulted in not just behaviour change at the individual and family levels, but, in one instance, also impacted on global transformations. The first is the arrival of Hurricane Gilbert in Jamaica on Monday, September 12, 1988. The second is what is referred to as 9/11 that occurred in the USA on  Tuesday, September 9, 2001. Both events had catastrophic impact that spread well beyond their actual epicentres, one crossing global borders. And both events were so devastating that lives were changed and behaviours altered – both permanently.

Every single person who felt the brunt of Hurricane Gilbert in Jamaica has a story. More than three decades later, people recite these stories and reflect on the impact it had on their lives as individuals, and on their families. They all remember where they were when Hurricane Gilbert struck. They remember who they were with and what kind of life situation they were in. Some were children in school — or not — while others were adults, employed or unemployed. Many, like me, were parents and breadwinners. Our media platforms in Jamaica were not yet as robust and our forewarning had become laissez-faire. I was literally on my way to work in Kingston on the morning of Hurricane Gilbert, making my way up King Street in Linstead alongside my co-worker Claire, who worked at the same law firm. A man shouted out to us, “Weh unnu a go? Storm a come!”  We asked questions. We turned back for home. Phones were a rarity back then, but word of mouth, grapevine, and a radio broadcast confirmed.

Many were unprepared for Hurricane Gilbert’s passing. We learnt hard lessons. Reports indicate that 45 lives were lost and an estimated US$4 billion worth of damage was left behind by Gilbert, the strongest hurricane to hit Jamaica since the 1950s. It took almost three months for electricity to return to my community and almost six months for the water supply. We learnt hard lessons going to work the long way, as the Bog Walk Gorge was closed for months. Many suffered terribly and some homes took months and months to be repaired. Yet, coming out of the devastation of Hurricane Gilbert Jamaicans of this era became far more responsive to the approach of hurricanes. The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) became our best friend. Media houses provide timely updates as the hurricane season progresses. Governments of the day provide a team of spokespersons who are ready and able to assist.  Now, at the slightest suggestion that a hurricane just might decide to maybe visit Jamaica, people rush out, stock up with whatever funds they can spare, and begin to cut trees, nail down roofs, and batten down. Indeed, a kerosene oil lamp, batteries, battery-operated radio, and solar charger, and a first-aid kit all form part of my disaster stock. We will not be caught napping again.

Donna P Hope, PhD, is professor of culture, gender and society at The University of the West Indies. Send comments to the Observer or dqueen13@hotmail.com.

The coordinated attack on the USA by the Muslim group al-Qaeda, including the bombing of the “Twin Towers” in New York on September 11, 2001, was a truly catastrophic event that resonated globally. Thirteen years after Hurricane Gilbert’s arrival, Jamaica and the world watched in horror as the towers of the World Trade Center, that had marked the New York landscape, crumbled. I can still see the image of that plane flying into the North Tower. We listened to the radio reports as another plane crashed into the Pentagon and watched television footage of the fourth plane, headed for Washington, DC, that was thwarted by heroic passengers and crashed in Pennsylvania. And, as with Hurricane Gilbert, the stories around that fateful morning abound. Many people will recall where they were when the news hit. And they will all recall very clearly how they felt and what they did at that very minute. I remember driving into Kingston along the Mandela Highway on my way to work at The University of the West Indies, Mona, and listening to The Breakfast Club radio programme, hosted by Tony Abrahams. The breaking news story that cut into the programme caused me to go left and bank my car close to what were then green open fields. Cars were honking their horns and stopping. Cellphones were available then, and the calls came fast and furious. Some people were trying frantically to call relatives and friends in New York, where many Jamaicans reside. By the time I arrived on the Mona Campus, classes had been cancelled and those of us on the social sciences block huddled together upstairs in the lunch room watching the horrifying footage on the television. We were simply horrified. Tears flowed freely. Was this World War III? Were our friends and family members safe? How could this be happening?

Those attacks resulted in almost 3,000 fatalities and approximately US$10 billion in damage. But, like Hurricane Gilbert, the impact of 9/11 stretched beyond its timeline. And, with the USA positioned at the centre of Western politics and economics, it had far-reaching impact on the lives of many across the world. Many countries strengthened their anti-terrorism legislation and ramped up law enforcement to deal with terrorist attacks. The word “terrorist” took on new and frightening meaning. Aside from the legislative and law enforcement changes, along with the loss of life and the economic fallout, the changes in travel across borders stand as a significant impact of 9/11. In the early post-9/11 period, men from Muslim countries were under significant scrutiny, and students from many Muslim countries faced severe visa restrictions to visit or live in the USA. Heightened security at airports in the USA also spread across the world. For example, before 9/11 if you had the opportunity to fly out or fly in, you could travel with liquids — toiletries, wines, special dietary shakes, etc, in your hand luggage. But, in the post-9/11 world you cannot carry more than a 3.4 oz (100ml) container of a liquid in your purse, handbag, or suitcase, and everything must be visible, in clear plastic bags. In the post-9/11 world your electronics must be out, and you must remove your shoes, belt, jewellery, and your outer clothing like coats, sweaters, etc, so that everything can be scanned. Heaven forbid if you have to take several connecting flights. None of these requirements existed before 9/11, but they have become so normalised that some people take them for granted.

This pandemic has been a long, slow burn that is yet to complete its cycle. There will be no return to “normal”, as many things will change in the post-COVID-19 era. No one who entered this harsh crucible will come out the same. At the micro level, the millennials who were either not born or too young to remember Gilbert or 9/11 will have their own stories of this strange time. Many people have learnt that being able to cook is an important skill. Others have begun to realise that perhaps they need to build out their backup economic plans. Many have returned to the bosom of their families. Others are learning how to navigate jobs using their online skills. At the macro level there is a serious thrust on cleanliness of public spaces, but many micro and medium entities will not recover from the economic fallout that has already begun. And, as the conspiracy theorists suggest, and I concur, there will be a vaccination that will be mandatory for travel. That writing is already on the proverbial wall.

Yet, as both Hurricane Gilbert and 9/11 have taught us, the greater majority of us will survive. And we will learn. This time is being burnt so deep in the lives, minds, and hearts of everyone that it will become legend-captured in stories, novels, poetry, music, and every art form. Films and documentaries will abound and we will erect memorials for those who passed. And, at both the individual and State levels, we will prepare for another similar eventuality and make sure that we are ready the next time around.