This is an interesting article on how to approach major storms from a policy perspective. It seems many people were upset that the government and forecasters made too much of Hurricane Matthew. They were distraught mostly over the waiting- was the storm ever going to come? and the expense as they stocked up on non-perishables and candles and water. Several of my students have written articles about this, the preparations they and their communities made and the expense they incurred.

We now see that Barbados lost an estimated $22 million in GDP because of a government-mandated island-wide shut-down. I would not even want to see an estimate for Jamaica, as more then one days were a write-off due to shutting down schools or businesses, rain or simple anticipation. It is a tough position for authorities- do not warn people and risk catastrophe and death, or issue dire warnings and face the wrath of the community when nothing comes to pass. It seems to me that the latter is preferable if lives are at stake, and they can be when a potential Category 5 hurricane is facing you down. At least we do not have the breathless reporters being pummeled by wind and rain

Alia Atkinson continues to smash world records. She broke the record for 50m breaststroke yesterday in Tokyo at the FINA World Cup. Congratulations Alia! Hers is a story that needs to be told.

A dance recital at the Little Theatre. The theme was “Beautiful Creatures,” a plea for young girls to accept themselves as they are.

It’s a whole other world up on the North Coast. It’s where the resorts dominate, where everything is clean and tidy, sanitized and orderly. Staff wear safari-like outfits and ask you how you are. They say things like “Irie” and “Yeah mon” with increased frequency. Bob Marley is often playing and nobody is yelling. The tourist life. Here’s a glimpse of the Iberostar resort, which we visited to pick up a family member.

I direct you today to some remarkable reporting on the devastation in Haiti from Hurricane Matthew. This reporter, Azam Ahmed, is doing some great on-the-ground work. Yesterday he visited people who are living in caves, as their homes have been destroyed. Today, he is talking to drug dealer Guy Phillippe. I wonder how he got such close access, such candid conversation. As I say, it is remarkable, not only in its access and color and respect for the subjects, but in its appearance in the New York Times. The Times, unfortunately, in its coverage of the Americas, tends to produce one-dimensional stories, mostly because the correspondents do not live in the community. But this Mr. Ahmed is doing some good work. Please check out the story from yesterday here.

You see the USAID signs across the island, mostly concentrated in inner-city communities in Kingston. This is a sign of the United States’ presence, in terms of foreign aid. The Washington Post has done a break-down of U.S. global foreign assistance. This story and this chart does not single out Jamaica, but I assume that one of the squares (in the upper left hand corner) for the Americas represents the country. (The text does not come through for the graphic, but the top ten largest recipients are:

Afghanistan, Israel, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Pakistan, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania and Ethiopia.

For what its worth, Colombia and Mexico receive $203.9 million and $85.6 million respectively.

This is the latest I could find in terms of foreign aid assistance, $21.7 million in 2012, targeted at crime and violence.  Here is the local USAID site for Jamaica.

This looks amazing.

Marketing in HalfWay Tree.

I have been to this beach many times, but have never seen the waves like this. Hurricane Matthew hardly had an effect on the island, except the waves, evidently. These are some stunning photographs by Ishack Wilmot of the beach during the storm. Enjoy!