Hurricane Dean was approaching
Jamaica as a strong category 4 hurricane when it took a last
minute jog to the west which spared the island from almost certain
disaster. Even without making a direct hit, Dean brought hurricane
conditions to most parts of Jamaica with heavy rain, high winds
and huge waves & storm surge. I flew in the day before the
storm hit and intercepted to storm along one of the coastal highways
where we thought the best combination of winds and daylight would
be. Joining me on this chase was veteran hurricane chaser Jim
Leonard.
At one point, the rising storm
surge brought a huge pile of debris crashing onto the road right
where we were standing. We had to scramble out of the way as
huge logs, rocks, coconuts and other debris washed all around
us. Roads became blocked and fuel was low so getting to other
parts of the island were impossible. Luckily only three fatalities
were reported. |