Tuesday 31 October 2023

The Real Disaster Is When We are not Ready

House damaged by earthquake in Portland


Last week I dreamt about a massive earthquake in Jamaica. In the dream, I was at Utech and could see the massive tsunami in the distance approaching. I said to myself that this dream seemed real. I decided to share the dream with my listeners. I asked my producer, Pastor Bowen, what she made of the dream.

This Monday Morning, October 30, 2023, as I was exiting the bathroom, I heard a rumbling sound, and I saw the floor of the bathroom moving. I said to myself, "Yes, this is it - this is the earthquake. The rumbling and the movement of the floor lasted about seven seconds but it seemed forever. I checked my watch and it was 1157 hours EST.

The calls and the messages started to come in immediately. Thanks to those who called and sent messages to check if all was OK with me. While driving to work I started to follow how the reports carried the news which gave this country a big jolt.

I found the behaviour of some reporters and journalists on air very nauseating. I expect us on air to be leaders and not just persons reacting with shock and excitement. I was further shocked when one television host stated on the news how he was scared and he ran. The same sentiments were expressed by the co-anchor. In times of crises, we need persons in the media to reassure the people and to give them advice and not behave like a scared mouse.

This got worse when I saw one person in management who declared that she did not know what to do. Really! You are the captain of the ship.

Our leaders and our people are not prepared for an earthquake. Today was a great test - a test which we failed miserably.

Later this afternoon I thought of ODPEM. The silence of ODPEM is deafening. I don't even know who is the head of ODPEM. All of this goes back to the type of training that we are exposing our children to and what we are reinforcing in our adults.

I suggest that ODPEM set up a WhatsApp community group or a similar emergency channel that citizens can subscribe to and where we can get information during a period of a potential disaster or during a disaster.

Note: The last time ODPEM posted to their X account was October 2022, on Instagram, it was September 2023, and on Facebook, it was September 2022. I cannot recall getting a press release from them at all. That is a real disaster!






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10 comments:

Anonymous said...

I was sitting on a stol in my room when I felt the house shaking👹

Anonymous said...

Even though there was an earthquake and things was disrupted... some persons had no remorse whatever...the they still had the rough mentality of wanting there business to go through as normal. Some were still cursing and carrying on. God has been very good to Jamaica and we must give thanks that it was not worse.

Anonymous said...

Thank God you are safe. You are so right about the quality Journalism that is in Jamaica today. They should watch the reporters who are in Gaza and Israel to see how the job is done.. ( from the Foundation Fren)

Anonymous said...

Again V I have said many times it seems you are always having to provide the so called leaders with solutions You yourself should be in some of those positions but we appreciate all you do in your capacity thank you

Anonymous said...

Seven minutes! Quite a stretch. Was more like 3 seconds my friend.

Anonymous said...

God bless you Sir Vernon and entire KLAS Team. For the past two weeks we have been warning the Prime Minister and these Evil men who are killing innocent people for greed of money and wealth and fame. Why you think God told Israel to get rid of the witches in the land, because they will corrupt God's wonderful people. However; in Jamaica people a take all them house and land a give these wicked people that is causing curse in families and over the the nation. Then you have the JPS & NWC and drained the poor people them. While a lot of those who Abel to pay will not pay. So people are taking matters into their hands. This is also wrong because this normally leads to problems that can be easily solve. Then again, do our government have the will to do what is right? Most times it is not the big things that they are doing is causing the problem. It is the little things that they failed to do that is really causing the very Big underlying crisis's.

Anonymous said...

This is the work of God and not man .Luke 21 verse 11 tell us and great earthquakes shall be divers places
,and famines,and pestilences;and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. so let us not be fool God words have to fullfil. The PM can't stop these things

Anonymous said...

Wow! You have The wonderful Maroon Town that is touching the three Parish of St. James, St. Bess & Hanover. O. K then, why do we have the Maroon settlement now Township? They are so well organized and they can live a peaceful life and yet we have the other 13 parishes. That are living like nightmare on Ellen Street. It is Returned Of Dead. What is really happening to our leaders, why can't they take a page out of Maroon's settlements and do the very same thing across the island? Why is this so hard to be done or is that whenever more innocent lives are lost, evil people gain more 💰 from these evil practices. Please be reminded that God is taking notice of the evil and the good that our leaders are protrating and if they do not take God's warning seriously. Expect the full anger of God.

Micspen said...

A "forensic" analysis of this and other collapsed buildings should be done and made public.This would assist in lifting the veil off shoddy construction and other malfeasance. These building and material merchants should no longer be able to hide behind Charles Richter's gift of seismological earthquake magnitude scaling.
All our bureau of standards and Scientific Research Council plus UTECHs Department of the Built Environment and must get to work in tandem with the Master Builders Association to build quality construction consciousness of the public.
This collapsed building should become a teaching moment for students,masses and others in the building industry.

Anonymous said...

He said, about seven seconds.

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