The passage of Hurricane Tammy left Anguilla in a relatively favourable position, enough so that the populace can be thankful that the storm was steered away from our locality in the nick of time and shifted on a northern trajectory instead of continuing towards us on a north-west path.
On this north-west track, east of the Leward Islands, before its detour to the north, Tammy was punching winds of over 80 mph and dropping rainfall of between 4 to 8 inches, with storm surge of 1 to 3 feet. As of 11:00 a.m. on Sunday October 22nd, 2023, the center of Tammy was located 60 miles north of Anguilla, and all watches and warnings were discontinued.
Wind damage from Tammy was nil or nominal. However, intermittent, torrential rains throughout Saturday and into Sunday night caused mild flooding across the island. Sunday night’s atmospheric drama was played out by the crackle-and-roll of some of the most vicious thunder storms the island had ever experienced.
The glare of blinding lightning, followed by the racket of deafening thunder created, as it were, a contest for supremacy in the dark night skies – but these were just traces of what Tammy had left behind as she headed out into the wide Atlantic.
The most serious element of Hurricane Tammy were water and lightning damage. Though showers were intermittent, they were enough to result in causing a landslide in a portion of the steep cliff overlooking Sandy Ground; and a lightning strike that damaged the Anguilla Electricity Company’s (ANGLEC’ s) equipment in Corito, causing the power company to be out of full commission for several days.
The street alongside the landslide, known as Backstreet, in the South Hill area, had to be closed off by the authorities and temporarily abandoned. It is a risk to use this road again without first undertaking remedial work to address the possibility of further landslides or other accidents; and/or seeking expert and qualified opinions.
With regard to the ANGLEC equipment damage, the island was plunged into darkness on Sunday night and many persons and businesses had to resort to the use of privately owned generators for the supply of power for at least four days. Persons who did not possess a generator not only suffered from heat at home and at work, but also endured the annoyance of pestilent mosquitoes at night time. Besides, there were many who complained even on social media, of having to dump their defrosted meats and other perishables.
With the storm now being long past, praises are in order for ANGLEC’s crew who worked assiduously to have power restored following Sunday night’s dreadful lightning strike on the generation equipment. Gratitude is extended particularly to the Generation Department as well as ANGLEC’s Transmission and Distribution Department. Anguilla stands grateful for your diligent efforts.
Though the effects of Tammy were more severe and more violent than her predecessor Philippe, who had sojourned through the area a few weeks ago, still we can say, thank God, Tammy was in no way akin to an aggressive Irma in 2017. We hope and trust that we continue to be spared harm from any storm until the end of the season.
