Weather forecasting is notoriously uncertain, which explains extreme caution as experts seek to chart the possible course of Hurricane Beryl.

What seems certain is that whether the storm passes over the Jamaican land mass, or just over coastal waters to the south, the effect is likely to be considerable.

Damage, even destruction, caused by heavy rain and powerful winds seem well nigh inevitable.

We must also be prepared for the possibility of death and grief as have afflicted Caricom neighbours in the south-eastern Caribbean.

Worst case projections suggesting the eyewall of Hurricane Beryl will pass over land is very bad news. That would mean extreme winds, rain, and flooding.

The various disaster agencies should have prepared for the worst, including the securing of shelters and stocking of supplies.

Drains should have been cleaned by local authorities and the National Works Agency (NWA), and contingencies addressed
— i’s dotted and t’s crossed.

Similarly we expect the utility companies, including electricity provider Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS), National Water Commission (NWC), the telecoms and Internet providers have prepared themselves.

Homeowners and householders should have stocked up on necessities including water, non-perishable food items, and medication. Trees too close for comfort should have been trimmed and cut away.

The security forces must be on high alert for the parasites who will seek to loot/steal.

Many younger Jamaicans have never experienced hurricanes or even severe tropical storms and know not what to expect. As the popular Jamaican saying goes: “Young bud, nuh know storm.”

For that reason, elders must make it their duty to explain to children and young people what’s likely to happen if the impact of Beryl is anything remotely close to being direct.

They need to be told that, for their own safety, they must follow instructions.

Apart from the threat to life and property, the young must be told that in any worse-case scenario we are likely to be without electricity, NWC water, and Internet connectivity for a while at least.

Older Jamaicans and even some still relatively young, recall with trepidation the horrifying effects of Hurricane Gilbert in 1988 and even storms which didn’t make landfall but stayed close to shore.

In that regard, Tuesday’s message from director of the Meteorological Services Branch Mr Evan Thompson was particularly appropriate.

Said he: “Just for a point of reference… some of you recall Hurricane Gilbert or you have seen images of Hurricane Gilbert way back in 1988. That was a Category 3 hurricane and if you think about Hurricane Ivan that occurred in 2004, that system
— the centre was just off the coast
— but it was a Category 4 hurricane…”

Mr Thompson also mentioned Sandy, a Category 1 hurricane that moved across Jamaica’s eastern parishes in 2012.

There were others, not least fast-moving Hurricane Dean, which left death and destruction in southern Jamaica in 2007.

Our hopes and prayers are that the impact of Hurricane Beryl won’t be as bad as feared.

However, whatever happens, we must be prepared.

Also, just as Jamaicans did in such exemplary fashion in coping with the consequences of Gilbert back in 1988 and in the challenging months that followed, we must pull together, supporting each other to the hilt in love and unity.