THE BAHAMAS - COMMUNICATIONS AND HURRICANE ALERTS THEN AND NOW!

Nassau, Bahamas, while Hurricane Joaquin was in the region

With the hurricane season now upon us (June through November) and all the alerts we receive by television or internet, I asked my husband Erskine how they learned of approaching storms on Long Island, Bahamas, as he was growing up. He was born and brought up there.  

He remembers a lady down the road who had a telephone in her store. She would receive news from Nassau of a tropical storm or hurricane in the area and spread the news. The Out Island Commissioners would also play an active part in alerting residents.

Erskine says after he moved to Nassau at the age of fifteen he remembers his late parents were given a radio, but they couldn’t receive ZNS, the national radio station of The Bahamas, at night. However, they got an excellent reception from Bonaire Radio on the Caribbean island of Bonaire and used to listen to some great music in the evenings from there.

Erskine’s parents would be amazed to see all the modern facilities Long Island has now, including television and internet! At the recent Long Island Sailing Regatta, which is held annually in Salt Pond, as fast as attendees snapped photos they were instantly shared on Facebook and other social media. Who would have ever thought back in those days that this would ever be a regular practice on Long Island!