Indeed, besides the usual disruption to infrastructure and utilities, one of the most inconvenient disruptions was the loss of telecommunications services, more specifically the mobile phone service.

When news of the severity of storm broke on Facebook, with Prime Minster, Roosevelt Skerritt posting images of the Roseau river bursting it’s banks and threatening to wash away the newly-built Chinese friendship bridge, my wife and I tried in vain to make contact with family and loved ones back home.

To our dismay, we could not even reach land line subscribers, not to mention mobile phone users. I would take a least 2 days before we were able to reach any one by phone.

Just last night, at the Prime minister’s 6th press briefing to update the media and the population on his government’s response to the disaster, telecommunications authorities revealed that telephone services had been restored to 98% of the island.

But, to respond to your suggestions of alternative modes of telecommunications, I note your concerns over ordinary resident acquiring ham/amateur radios, and all of the expense to purchase equivalents and the training needed to communicate on the air.

Both my wife and I are Foundation Licence holders here in the UK. As foundation licence holders we are permitted to communicate with other ham/amateur radio operators on various assigned frequency band on 2 metre and 70cm metre bands, and at specific power transmissions. Indeed, it was ham radio operator, Fred white, who alerted the international community in 1979 following the devastation of hurricane David on the island using his ham/amateur radio equipment. So I would suggest that at least one operator in a village, or at least the village council or police station should be fully trained in amateur radio principles and basics.

Of course that means that all equipment, batteries etc, should be carefully stored and undamaged for use in the event of an emergency and a telecommunications black-out.

As regards mobile phone users, it might be wise to purchase several extra batteries for your phone, should it be impossible to charge your phone, and so that you could check for any available phone signal.

It would seem wise too, that a greater effort be made to introduce satellite phones along side mobile phones in disaster prone areas like Dominica. At least, a direct line of sight with and overhead satellite would almost be available, if one is not buried in a collapsed building for instance.

Other sensible suggestions would be to keep your phones and accessories dry, by keeping them in some sort of waterproof container.

Finally, not only in the telecommunications sectors but all areas of Dominica’s development needs to re examined in light of the islands frequent damage from such storms, and also the looming threat of some sort of volcanic event. Civil engineers and other stakeholders need to realise that we need to build our cities and towns and villages with these risk factors in mind, and work to mitigating as much damage as possible to property and life.

I guess time will tell, if we have learnt our lessons in time for the next major geological or meteorological even that visits our shores.