This week started with an unstable weather here and in the region. We had a thunderstorm on Monday night which continued until the early hours of Tuesday. On Wednesday Mauritiuswitnessed a thundery weather; offices and schools were dismissed earlier. The electricity went off for some time.

On Thursday the weather was cloudy but no thunderstorm as forecast over Rodrigues. Still there was some panic. The school authorities were concerned about the safety pf school children.

The tragic consequences of the torrential rain episode of 26 March in Mauritius are still vivid in their minds.  And they know that regions like Riviere Cocos, Port Sud Est, Batatran in the east are particularly prone to flooding during heavy rainfall.

Precautions are even more important during thundery weather. Why? What special precautions are required? In order to answer these questions we need to understand the nature of a thunderstorm.

So let’s see what a thunderstorm is, how it is formed, how it strikes and how you can protect yourself.

Thunder clouds 

A thunderstorm is a storm with lightning and thunder, heavy rain, gusty winds and sometimes hail. It occurs when the atmosphere is unstable. The air is warm and humid. Coupled with active cold fronts and sea breezes it rises to form cumulonimbus clouds with high vertical extent. These clouds, which may reach up to 12 km high, become highly electrically charged and are sometimes referred to as thunder clouds.

Electric discharges 

The rising air causes the charges to separate; the positive charges concentrate at the top and the negative charges at the base of the clouds. When these charges come into contact, as they certainly will with instability, they produce electrical discharges and huge sparks or thunderbolts. Lightning is visible and seconds after you can hear a rumbling sound, thunder. You see the lightning first because light travels faster than sound. The air temperature at the discharge point may reach about 27 000 ^oC.

Lightning and Thunder 

Lightning is an electric current, a bright flash of electricity produced by a thunderstorm. It is very dangerous and is known to kill more people than tornadoes.

Thunder is caused by lightning which expands the air while finding a path to the ground. When the light is gone the air collapses back creating a sound wave we hear as thunder.

Thunder occurs in our region usually during the period December through April, about three times in a month and 17 days per year. On rare occasions, like this week, thunderstorm occurs in May also. The winter season doesn’t favour the formation of thunder clouds.

Can you assess the distance of a thunderstorm? 

Sometimes there’s only lightning, no thunder. Why? Well, the answer is simple. The thunderstorm is far from the point where you are, too far to be heard by the human ear. Usually beyond 10 km you cannot hear thunder.

But if you hear thunder and you want to calculate its approximate distance (in km) just divide by three the time (in sec) elapsed between the moment you see lightning and the moment you hear thunder. (To find distance in miles, divide time by 5).

And if you hear a deafening cracking sound almost momentarily after a lightning then it is most likely that the storm is overhead or very close to where you are. You need to be very vigilant.

Lightning targets 

Lightning takes the shortest path to the ground. Thus an object that is closer to the cumulonimbus cloud will be the prime target. Trees, mountain tops, high buildings, TV antennas, electric poles, masts, boats in the open sea and the highest point in a plain are all lightning targets. So the basic thing you can do is: stay away from these targets during a thunderstorm.

Protecting yourself 

A lightning strike actually kills and may cause damage to buildings and structures and may even trigger a fire. You’ll protect yourself if you follow simple rules as outlined hereunder:

1. Be on the lookout for darkening skies, lightning and increasing winds. These are precursors of a thunderstorm. Pay heed to the weather forecasts. Don’t wait for the rain to begin.
2. If you hear thunder, go to a safe place immediately
3. If you are at sea, rush to the shore and find a shelter immediately
4. If you are in an open area, crouch down; but don’t lay flat, minimize contact with the ground
5. If you cannot find a shelter stay away from any tree, at least twice as far away from it as it is tall
6.  If you are in a forest, seek shelter in a low area under small trees
7. If you are on a mountain, climb down immediately
8. If you are in a vehicle, stay inside. Don’t touch any metallic parts
9. Do not take shower, wash hands, dishes or do laundry. Stay out of water as it is a good conductor of electricity.
10. Disconnect all electrical appliances at home or in the office
11. Don’t use the corded telephone. Mobile phone is safer.
12. Stay off porches and away from doors and windows
13. Protect your house or building by installing a lightning conductor or rod. It is a device that provides an easier path for current to flow to the earth than through your house or building. It is made of a vertical metal strip or rod, usually of copper or similar conductive material placed on the roof top and connected to the ground. This system was invented by Benjamin Franklin.

You can assume that the thunderstorm has ceased or moved away if you don’t observe lightning or thunder for at least 30 minutes. You can now resume your routine.

Alfa King Memories

We always hear about keeping fit, healthy and adopting a healthy lifestyle. What does that mean? You’ll often come across people saying: “Oh, I eat well, work well, sleep well, and I have no disease; I’m a healthy person.”

Well, the fact is despite these assertions a person may still be leading an unhealthy life. Have you heard of this: “I just met Mr. X; we had a good time together; he was OK; I can’t believe he’s passed away? Aren’t you joking?”

Yes, this is a common feature today. Many people suffer from health problems like high blood pressure, stress, cardiovascular disease and diabetes without knowing, until they find themselves in the doctor’s consultation room for an emergency.

Yet there are visible risk factors associated with these. Physical inactivity, bad eating, smoking and alcohol consumption habits, obesity, age, and family history are all factors that contribute to worsen your health, slowly but surely.

Oh, I mentioned “habits”; the topic of the post is about “rituals”. So let’s get things clear before going any further.

A habit is a passive, automatic and often unconscious behaviour, done in repetition although the outcomes may not be positive.

Whereas a ritual is something you do deliberately and consciously with a clear purpose in mind. It is more powerful than habit.

A habit may be good or bad. What you need to do is to adopt those habits that are good and turn them into rituals with a clear and specific objective in mind.

OK? Right, over now to the rituals to help you maintain a healthier lifestyle.

1. Eat healthy

• Know what you eat, how and how much. Don’t eat with your eyes; they may mislead you over a sensible portion. Don’t eat in between meals. Be reasonable. Be moderate.
• Eat more fruits, salads and veggies
• Take low fat or fat free dairy foods
• If you are non-vegetarian, go for lean meat, poultry and fish
• Check your sodium intake: less of it, more of herbs and spices
• Grains, nuts, seeds and dry beans are all right
• Check your sugar consumption
• Check if you have enough daily fluid intake. Six to eight glasses (about 1.2 litres) of fluid a day are recommended by the UK Food Standard Agency, based on fluid lost by the body; although a recent study by scientists at University of Pennsylvania rules out the actual beneficial toxin-flushing-ability of water. “There’s no clear evidence of benefit from drinking increased amounts of water,” they say. Anyhow, remember that you need to take adequate fluid to avoid dehydration.

2. Be physically active

• Unfortunately, modern technology has rendered life more sedentary. People confine themselves to their car, office and home with little if at all any significant physical activity. You need not do vigorous physical activity, nor run or jog. Just simple activities can help maintain a good posture, lower blood pressure, burn the calories and the body fat and improve the circulatory and heart problems. So what in essence can you do?
• Walk. The Executive Health Organisation says walking is a very efficient exercise and is the only one that you can follow all the years of your life. Studies have yielded definite improvement in health and proved beneficial to the heart and weight-loss of thousands of people.
• Do some household chores, like gardening, sweeping, washing (car, floor, etc), cleaning the yard. These may not be vigorous exercises, yet will keep you on the move usefully.
• Leave your car or motorcycle when you proceed to the nearby grocery, bakery or market. Walk. The idea is to break your sedentariness.
• If you can, do some exercise, like swimming, cycling, dancing, skiing, etc. This will help reduce stress, improve your mood, reduce anxiety and depression, maintain bone mass, prevent osteoporosis and fractures and improve memory in the elderly.

Remember however that there are conflicting views about how much exercise you should do. Some believe 20 minutes per day is sufficient; others recommend one hour per day. Scientific research and studies indicate that a roughly-20-minute-a-day exercise, although will not melt off your kilos, can significantly prevent your cardiac risks.

3. Keep your weight under control

• Heavy weight is considered a major cardiac risk factor. So all you need to do is maintain a healthy weight. Now what is a healthy weight? Put simply it is one that respects your Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI is a measure of body fat based on height and weight. It is obtained from dividing your body weight (in kg) by the square of your height (in centimetres). 

Consider yourself:

• Underweight if your BMI is equal to or below 18.5
• Normal weight, between 18.5 and 24.9
• Overweight, between 25.0 and 29.9
• Obese, if your BMI is 30 and above.

4. Quit or avoid smoking and drinking

• It’s no news: smoking tobacco has negative effects on nearly every organ of the body. It impairs overall health. From lung cancer to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases smoking remains the leading cause of death that can be prevented.
• Like smoking, alcohol affects every organ in the body. Beer, wine, and liquor contain an intoxicating ingredient in the form of ethyl alcohol or ethanol. Alcohol is readily absorbed into the bloodstream. It acts on the central nervous system with depressive outcomes. How intense is the effect of alcohol on the body depends on the amount consumed, not the type of alcoholic drink.
• The choice is clear. If you smoke or consume alcohol quit, or simply avoid.

5. Keep a medical watch

A medical surveillance will go a long way in keeping any health inconsistencies in check. Make it a ritual to:

• Visit your health institution. Talk to your doctor. Keep a health diary and follow-up regularly.
• Take any prescribed drugs as may be directed.
• Don’t grab any dietary medication or “health pills” from the street corner shop; seek appropriate specialized medical advice if you intend to go for a dietary programme. Pseudo-medical advisors and self-medication can do more harm than good. Your health control needs to be adapted to your metabolic set up.

If you follow these rituals there’s no reason why you should not enjoy a better health. You can start at any age. A small step can make all the difference. If you eat healthy, stop smoking and do more exercise you could have an extra 12 years’ life. In fact, a study from the University of Cambridge reveals that: 

• You can live up to five years longer if you eat five fruits and vegetables
• You could have another four to five years if you stop smoking
• You can have up to three years extra life if you do more exercise.

The choice is yours now.

If you have any other suggestions for an improved lifestyle I’d be pleased to read about them.

To your health.

Alfa King Memories

I’ve been quite busy these days. Yeah, really hectic. The days are going by quicker than I’d imagine. My blog’s been static for a while. So in order to keep you posted and also to wrap up for this month I thought of recommending you some articles in case you haven’t come across them yet. Here they are:

1. If you are contemplating to write a book review and you are not sure how to make your way, no need to look further. Here’s a clear and concise article about How to Write a Book Review. It tells you what a book review is and how to go about writing one; the important points you need to consider from the title, the preface, the table of contents to reading the whole text, the genre, style, point of view, preparing an outline and writing the draft. There’s everything you need to know.
2. If writing a query letter is what’s keeping you from sending an article proposal I’d recommend Moira Allen’s How to Write a Successful Query. This article deals lengthily on the issue of query; the value of a query, the query letter essentials and how to format a query letter. There’s no reason why you shouldn’t come up with a powerful query letter if you follow the guidelines.
3. Jenna Glatzer’s The Beginner’s Guide To Freelance Writing gives a detailed account of how you can break into writing for magazines, newspapers and e-zines. From getting the “big idea” to researching the markets to writing the killer query, Jenna tells us all about writing “on spec or not on spec”, rights issues, interviews, and recycling your “big idea”, among other useful considerations. If you’ve considered freelancing as an option that’s where you’ll find all you need to master.
4. Last but not least, if you are still confused about the correct format of your manuscript before you send it off Moira Allen will guide you through her A Quick Guide to Manuscript Format. She gives a standard formatting and submission procedure when you’ve finished your draft. From the basics to the final submission this article leads you the way.

I hope you find them useful. Keep on the good work. Write as often as you can if writing is what you have chosen as a career, as a side income earner or simply as a hobby. Good luck and happy May Day to the entire world’s labour force.

Alfa King Memories

  It was exactly noon, earlier today. I had just taken my lunch. I was installing myself before the TV for the mid-day news. BOOM…PHSSHHHH. I was taken aback. I drew the curtains to see what happened. A white smoke in the air, a blurred view of a vehicle in my yard, and I heard the roaring of an engine that stopped seconds after.

At this moment I could hardly gauge what it was really. I just put on my clothing and rushed outside. A tractor has crashed against the wall fencing my yard along the roadside.

It was such an impact, like a bomb exploding beside me. The smoke, which was actually a cloud of white dust from the broken wall, gave the idea there was a fire. My whole body remained shaking for a while.

In the yard I saw a man, probably the driver, staggering. “What happened, Sir?” I asked. “The brakes failed,” he answered. And when I asked him whether he or anybody was injured he didn’t reply. He appeared confused and stayed dumb as he rushed to the road. A four wheeler was stopping to see the scene. He jumped into it and headed to the hospital.

There seemed to be another guy with him. It was the tractor attendant whom nobody saw how he got down and where he went. He disappeared in the twinkling of an eye.

Everybody was stunned. There was no serious injury, at least from what we saw for ourselves. Everyone thought it was fatal. Fortunately not. The tractor was heading downhill to Port Mathurin with a tank full of water for distribution somewhere. Were there no wall the tractor could have ended with my house some 10 metres away.

Here’s a view of the wall after clearing.

Alfa King Memories

In the last post in my series relating to the recent flood that hit Mauritius I referred to the event as a wake-up call. I highlighted a number of things which I considered as shortcomings and I came up with some suggestions about what needed to be done to mitigate the impacts of such catastrophe in future. “One fatality is too much,” had said the Prime Minister in the aftermath of the unprecedented flood, which took the lives of four of our citizens.

One of my concerns related to the responsibility of the authorities, namely the local authorities, regarding the drainage system with the ongoing property development in the country and the state of the canals, rivers and other prone areas.

I also raised the issue of enforcement during warnings to deter people from wandering without plausible reason when a warning is in force, as is the case in some countries.

These two issues were also prominently dealt with in the second post of the series.

And I proposed that the authorities need to take action to review the existing state of our drainage systems and exercise controls over property development such that they take adequate care of water evacuation. Then I suggested that some sort of policing needed to be done to track warning defaulters.

Well, I have to say it loud that my concerns were justified. Reports by Gibb consultants between 2001 and 2003, extracts of which were published in the weekly newspaper Le Defi Plus of last week (18 April), simply confirm what I mentioned in my “flood series of posts”. Absolutely convergent with the arguments presented in the posts. They show to what extent our system of water evacuation was deficient and the lack of adequate measures by the authorities to remedy the situation, especially in relation to property development and the state of drains and prone areas.

But what comforts me more is the decision of the Government last week to come up with a legislation to track and convict those who ignore warnings. I was a bit hesitant to come up with this proposal because I considered it as a very sensitive issue. But, as the PM mentioned, such enforcement measures exist in other countries. Reunion island is one example in the region.

I don’t want to boast myself in any way. But it’s indeed reinvigorating when your ideas meet with positive findings and outcomes of reports and political decisions. It gives another boost to probe yet further into issues, however sensitive and burning they may be. Provided you do in-depth research and come up with constructive ideas.

Alfa King Memories

Even great writers will tell you: writing has never been an easy stuff. Granted to some extent we are all writers for doing some sort of writing now and then – letters, notes, mails and the like, which I’d call informal writing. Here you may not need to worry much about the quality of your writing. But when you are writing for a wider public then things become more serious and complicated. You have to know what you want to convey to the reader and how best you can do it to avoid the least confusion and monotonous reading.

One word of caution, though. The purpose of this post is not to tell you the ABC’s of writing. I just want to hint you on how the use of sentences is important in delivering the right meaning. If you are already an experienced writer this may not be for you.

Should our sentences be long or short? How long? How short? That’s the dilemma that writers often face. Any writer. Don’t feel awkward. It’s simple. Ask yourself questions. Do you want to be specific? You want to get to the point? Want to add stress or punch? Yes? Use short sentences.

Do you want to convey intense emotion, especially in writing fiction? Then use longer sentences.

Too much use of either the short or long sentence makes you appear a novice. Worse it bores the reader. And you don’t want to. Do you? What you are interested in is producing writing that will not suck; that will keep your reader tuned. Right? You need to keep the right balance. A good mix of short and long sentences is what makes a well-balanced writing. How to get that “good mix”? Relax. There’s a “simple formula”.

If you want to know more about the “simple formula” for sentence lengths, read Kristy Taylor’s Varying Your Sentence Lengths. “Learning the ‘rhythm of writing’ isn’t something you’ll learn overnight, but with practice you’ll catch areas in your writing that lack variety and you’ll learn how to transform your sentences into memorable prose,” says Kristy in concluding her article.

To your writing.

Alfa King Memories

Let’s recapitulate before going further. In the first post we looked into the event that hit the country. Then we probed into the existing torrential rain warning system after which, yesterday we addressed the issue in the context of global climate change and the summer floods that hit the UK.
This post, the last in the series, is dedicated to suggesting a way forward. It’ll highlight some aspects of flood preparedness that need to be addressed and provide simple safety tips that will go a long way in protecting people and preventing catastrophic outcomes from flood events.

Flood preparedness

Flood is not a new event here. Although it’s not a frequent occurrence, there’s ground for concern. The first severe flood occurred in 1959 and another flood event was noted in 1979 when a 15-day non-stop rainfall caused severe flooding throughout the country after a storm named Hiacynthe stayed in the region longer than expected.

The event of last week was in some sort a wake-up call. That is why people need to be in a constant state of preparedness. I won’t pretend to be a specialist in flood resilience mechanism. It’s basic knowledge that a flash flood does not announce ahead. It occurs when heavy rain falls in a prone area. People need to keep track of weather conditions and stay away from the hot spots like streams, canals and drains in order to protect themselves. Water can rush downstream heavily and cause havoc, like it did at Mon Gout.

Suggestions for an improved resilience strategy

Without pre-empting the findings and recommendations of the FFC here’s a list of issues which I consider important for an improved disaster management system, including flood.

1. TRES – The scheme has been in place for more than two decades. The changing face of climate requires that it be revisited to make it responsive to the challenges of the day.
2. Weather services – There’s a need to probe into the technical limitations of the forecasting system in relation to the TRES and find out whether the competencies are adequate and how capacity building is responding in the context of new hazards.
3. Disaster Warning Management Board (DWMB) – The warning system has hitherto been in the sole hands of the Director of the Meteorological Services. Incoming challenges seem to add up to the pressure on that person. Extra brains will definitely add value to the decision-making process in crucial moments. I don’t think it’s a big deal if the authorities could consider setting up a board comprising three to five specialists from key areas, including the Director of the Meteorological Services and experts in hydrology, for that purpose. They can collectively decide on the type and timing of warning to be issued based on information from the weather services and issue directives, free from perceived political interference, for the management of the incident.
4. Flood prone areas – It should be ensured that a properly monitored survey is done on the state of drains, canals, rivers, and all places prone to flooding and appropriate remedial measures are taken where necessary well before the approach of the heavy rain season. Although provided in the TRES this task seems to have been taken for granted. The authorities should be able to overcome the lethargic approach and look for the missing links.
5. Drainage system and flood-resilient infrastructures – Strict control should be effected on building and property development plans to ensure proper drainage system and improved flood-resilience. Here also there were apparent signs of weaknesses.
6. Schools – Clearer instructions and more straightforward guidelines should be worked out for the opening/closing of schools during extreme weather events or progressive deterioration of weather conditions capable of causing serious inconvenience to the safety, security and health of school children irrespective of the criterion of 100 mm of rainfall within a given period.
7. Policing – This is a very sensitive issue. But experience is the best teacher. Isn’t it? Some sort of sanction need to be provided to control those who ignore warnings and venture irresponsibly without good and sufficient cause in visibly risky weather conditions, especially during a warning. People should know they have a duty (under the law) to act responsibly.
8. Rapid Emergency Rescue and Evacuation Services – Rescue and evacuation services need to be prompt, effective and efficient. A better coordinated approach is essential to avoid ambiguity and waste of time, effort and energy.
9. Communication – Alternative means of communication, e,g. sms or mail alerts, electronic bill boards, should be explored to ensure the public is adequately warned of imminent dangers.
10. Awareness and sensitisation – A properly monitored ongoing campaign needs to be put in place to arouse people’s awareness to dangers of nature. Specific responsibility should be assigned to that effect.
11. Accountability – The proposed DWMB could constantly monitor progress with regard to the responsibility entrusted upon stakeholders in order to ensure proper accountability for actions or omissions in their areas of concern. This would ensure proper preparedness to catastrophic events. The existing Cyclone and Other Disasters Committee meets only during a disaster period.
12. Family disaster plan – The population should be encouraged to set up a family disaster plan indicating what they need to do and what provisions they need to make prior to the occurrence of the event.

Follow simple rules and protect yourself

You’ll do yourself good if you follow the tips below in case of a flood threat:

1. Go to higher grounds immediately if you are outdoors.
2. Stay away from the vulnerable areas, like rivers, streams, canals, ditches, river beds, open drains.
3. Don’t attempt to cross running flood water.
4. Don’t drive through flooded roadways. Take another route.
5. In case of breakdown, leave your vehicle immediately and go to higher grounds.
6. Understand the terms used by the weather services. For instance if you are told there’s river flooding, it means rivers are filling up and getting out of banks.
7. Be especially careful at night.

Conclusion

To conclude this series of posts I’d be somewhat blunt: we cannot point fingers so long as we don’t know the A to Z of the situation. People tend to react in a blind fury at losses and inconveniences sustained by them or their dear ones. This is comprehensible. But what’s more important is putting our heads together to find solutions adapted to the changing circumstances. No system is set to remain permanently static. Periodic review is what makes it dynamic and responsive to ongoing changes.

Putting blames blindly leads to nowhere. At some point in time you’ll find that somebody somewhere failed. At another, you’ll see that nobody can be held responsible due to the complexity of the issue. Yet if you get into a thorough post-mortem analysis you’ll find the third culprit: everybody. If at all we have to blame it’s the system that didn’t seem to yield the expected result.

So let us not divert from the main issue. Let’s be inspired by Sir Michael Pitt while we wait patiently for the outcome of the Fact Finding Committee which will start its sitting soon. Have you anything to tell the Committee? Contact them.

There you are folks. That concludes my “flood” series. If you appreciated it share it with your friends or you might consider subscribing to my feed to keep yourself posted. If you have any ideas or suggestions I’ll see you in my comment box. Cheers.

Alfa King Memories

So far we have looked into the chronology of events and the adequacy or inadequacy of the system in place. You can already sense the complexity of the issue unfolding swiftly. There’s a lot more. We are a small country after all.

This post will look into the problem of flooding in the context of global climate change and the vulnerability of developed countries like the UK and cast a quick glance at lessons learnt from their experiences.

A worldwide issue in the wake of global climate change

Weather doesn’t behave the same way anymore. With the ongoing global changes in climatic conditions extreme events are becoming recurrent, hitting places where they rarely did previously, and with rare intensity. Heavy rains and flooding are not an issue only for small countries like Mauritius. Other well developed countries have become vulnerable too and experienced distressful moments despite all the technological advances.

The summer floods in June-July last year in the UK is a vivid example of the complexity of prediction of such events and the vulnerability of people to cope with them. They caused widespread chaos; school children were blocked after their coaches were trapped in flooded areas, several vehicles were stranded in parking areas and thousands of homes and businesses were affected, according to reports from the BBC.

The failings in the summer floods in the UK

The independent Reviewer into the summer floods in the UK, Sir Michael Pitt, in an interim report released recently highlighted several loopholes in the system in place in the UK to address such disaster. Among the failings it was noted that there was no national flood emergency plan; no clear responsibility for dealing with urban flooding; no systematic stockpiling of emergency equipment, such as boats. The drainage system was overloaded and there was ambiguity with regard to coordination of emergency and rescue. The complexity and technical limitations of flood prediction surfaced out.

Sir Michael Pitt’s report, which is due for final release next summer, contains several recommendations including the need to improve weather forecasting techniques; build more flood-resilient properties; and ensure greater leadership from the local authorities. However, Sir Michael did not pinpoint any blame. “The report does not point the finger of blame. Anyone looking for that will be disappointed,” said Sir Michael. “What we’ve tried to do is look forward and be positive about what can be done in the future.” (Source: BBC News)

Fact Finding Committee (FFC)

Back in Mauritius a three-member Fact Finding Committee has been set up under the head of a sitting Judge of the Supreme Court with one of the assessors being a former Director of the Mauritius Meteorological Services. No doubt this committee will come up with a positive way forward for enhanced flood-resilience (or general disaster-resilience to cover other disasters).

An overhaul of the existing procedures has become imperative with the emerging challenges. We witnessed unprecedented tidal waves in May last year when the government resolved to review measures to mitigate consequences. On 31 January this year the meteorological services was targeted for abrupt lifting of warning during tropical storm Gula. The recent flood event was the last straw that broke the camel’s back. The assistance of the WMO has also been sought to find out about the forecasting techniques of the local weather services and how the warning systems can be improved.

Tomorrow in the final post of the series I’ll look into what could be done for a better flood preparedness strategy.

Alfa King Memories

From the previous post you should have some idea on the sequence of events that led to various (misleading so to say) interpretation of matters.

Today I’ll go into further details on some of the provisions of the Torrential Rain Emergency Scheme and analyse its adequacy or inadequacy with close reference to what obtains in other parts of the world.

Responsibilities under the Torrential Rain Emergency Scheme

With the severity of the events one can reasonably argue as to the adequacy of the scheme and the adherence to its provisions by the respective bodies. For instance the scheme provides that before the convening of a meeting of the Cyclone and Other Natural Disasters Committee, the Local Authorities should:

1. undertake a survey of flood prone areas and the state of the drainage system and arrange for appropriate remedial action to be taken;
2. carry out an audit of all drainage systems including the state of riverbeds in their respective areas of responsibility;
3. arrange for the cleaning of all drains, canals, beds and banks of lakes, rivulets and streams systematically and specially during the rainy season;
4. update the list of flood prone areas…..;
5. review urban and rural development building plans taking into consideration the need for the provision of adequate drainage system; and
6. compile appropriate documentation (audiovisual aids, photographs, handouts, etc) of flood events to promote public awareness.

While the Police with the assistance of the Fire Services and the Prisons Department have the responsibility to organise rescue or evacuation exercise.

Have these duties been discharged as indicated? People complained of lack or complete absence of assistance from the emergency and rescue services.

Awareness campaigns and the maintenance of drains, canals and other prone areas involve adequate resources in terms of labour and capital. Reports indicate that drains and canals at several places were clogged or simply rendered ineffective or inexistent by property development. And from press statements we gather that the authorities had to struggle through financial constraints in order to live up to their responsibilities.

No doubt heavy amount of accumulated water would gush once it finds a path. And that’s what happened at Mon Gout where the poor child was carried away along with a lady.

Then there’s one fundamental issue that needs attention: all too often people ignore warnings and they act irresponsibly when venturing in visibly risky weather conditions. And there are those for whom the sense of civic responsibility is a big deal. Just figure out the bus discharging its passengers in an over flooded area. Was there anyone to stop the child from crossing the bridge? It appears she was accompanied. Was there any public awareness campaign? If yes, how effective was it?

Those are the areas where the shoe pinches; and we should direct our effort in investigating into these aspects of the catastrophe in order to come up with mitigation measures for the future.

Is the Scheme adequate?

The cyclone emergency scheme has worked fairly well in Mauritius. With four stages of warning from Class I to Class IV the population is adequately informed of the imminent dangers of cyclones. But the torrential rain warning is not phased. A warning is issued only when the amount of rainfall has reached 100 mm and is likely to persist for several hours.

Emergency schemes and early warning systems vary from country to country. It all depends on the nature of the hazards. But the principle of these systems is the same. All are concerned with providing explicit and timely advice to the population so that they are prepared beforehand to face the events with minimal inconveniences and to protect themselves.

In some countries there’s a three-stage warning system for weather hazards including thunderstorms, floods, storms and tornadoes. A watch is issued when the weather services expect people to watch out for weather problems and when things might turn bad. An advisory is issued when minor street flooding starts to occur, meaning problems have started. While they’ll issue a warning when storms are actually causing considerable problems like flash flooding and things have become dangerous.

Can these systems be adopted or adapted to the local context? It’s up to the authorities to ponder upon them. The recent flood event has definitely given some food for thought. There’s widespread criticism with regard to the criteria of 100 mm. Some opinions indicate that when this has happened it’s already too late; it’s time for rescue and evacuation rather than to start taking precautionary measures.

Perhaps the authorities could also investigate into the enforcement side of warnings in an endeavour to situate the responsibility of each and every citizen. Are we responsible citizens of this country? It costs nothing for any Tom Dick and Harry to criticize; but it does cost some bucks in terms of man, money and materials when the rescue team has to set foot in gullies to save those who’ve been stuck out of their own imprudence by simply ignoring the safety instructions in disaster conditions. I won’t go into asking what people do around river banks at a moment when the weather is at its worst. Anyway.

My next post will focus on extreme events as standing challenges the world over. It will peek into the summer floods that hit the UK last year and the main lessons learnt. Stay tuned.

Alfa King Memories

Four dead including one school child of 13 in the unprecedented flood that hit the country on Wednesday last. The child was returning home after early school dismissal due to torrential rain warning. No sooner had she alighted from the bus than she attempted to cross an over flooded bridge to reach her residence. But the water gushing outrageously from the river swept her away from the roadway. How could she gauge the strength of such sudden surge?

Passers by stood dumb, powerless. Several houses were inundated, cars wrecked and roads damaged, causing gross inconvenience. It’s been raining heavily since the preceding week but none expected such a catastrophic outcome like a flash flood that would sweep everything on its way.

I’ll be dealing with the recent flood event of 26 March 2008 in a series of four posts starting from this one. I’ll make a brief analysis of the sequence of events that caused widespread confusion and come up with some suggestions based on experiences here and there.

In such events we tend to look for a scapegoat. That’s typical political, and often communal, strategy. Can we find one? Should we venture to point fingers? Be wary. And don’t be shocked if you happen to unveil the culprits. And culprits there are definitely, three: somebody, nobody and everybody.

In this post I’ll look into what happened on the morning of Wednesday 26 March and what the existing emergency scheme says about torrential rain warnings.

The authorities criticised

The people are pointing at the Meteorological Services for not having warned the population in time. They criticised the Minister of Education for not having taken appropriate action to order school closure right from the morning on that day and for having dismissed school late at a time when, they say, the downpour had exceeded torrential stage. The people are angry with what they call an ineffective emergency response service. They had to organise their own rescue system to prevent those they could from drowning.

Could the torrential rain have been predicted? Was the flooding (over flooding or flash flood) foreseeable? Why did the Meteorological Services wait until 11.00 am (07.00 UT) to issue a torrential rain warning? Why did the Ministry of Education fail to declare a school holiday on that day? Were the authorities up to the level of their responsibility? These and many other questions are still haunting the minds of the people who are outraged and need reassurance.

To a question from the press during the weekend the Deputy Director of the Mauritius Meteorological Services was blunt: “I challenge any meteorological station in the world to be able to predict such torrential rain.” He further stated that, if we can calculate the percentage of humidity in the atmosphere, it’s impossible to know the amount of rainfall that the clouds will release at a given time.

Torrential Rain Emergency Scheme (TRES)

Yet there is a Torrential Rain Emergency Scheme which forms an integral part of the Cyclone and Other Natural Disasters Scheme. This scheme lays specific responsibilities on various bodies, like the Local Authorities, the Meteorological Services, the Road Development Authority, the Ministry of Education, the Police, and the Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) among others with regard to the action to be taken in the event of torrential rain conditions. Let us see some of its salient features in order to understand whether what happened on Wednesday could have been prevented. The scheme provides as follows:

1. The Meteorological Services is required to advise the Ministry of Education and Human Resources and issue warnings at regular intervals as soon as “climatic conditions prevailing over Mauritius or Rodrigues produced 100 mm of widespread rains in less than 12 hours and that this heavy rain is likely to continue for several hours”.
2. “Whenever torrential rain conditions have produced 100 mm of rains and heavy rains are likely to continue at the beginning of a school day, schools will not be opened for school children. If such a condition is observed during school hours the Meteorological Services will inform the Ministry of Education and Human Resources who will arrange through the MBC, private radio stations and the Police to warn the public accordingly.”
3. “As soon as such a warning is issued all classes will stop.” And the National Transport Authority has the responsibility “to arrange for bus facilities in all routes to be provided, as soon as possible, to school children who travel by bus.”

What really happened in that dreary morning?

At 5.00 am (01.00 UT) rainfall recorded hadn’t reached 100 mm, the weather services say. But the communiqué issued at that time did mention that people including school children should take precautions in view of heavy rainfall forecast. After having ascertained the criteria was reached, the Meteorological Services issued a torrential rain warning at around 11.00 am (07.00 UT). The Cyclone and other Disasters Committee met subsequently and it’s only then that the decision was taken to stop school. By that time it was nearly 2.00 pm (10.00 UT). We all know what followed.

It cannot be said with ease whether a decision could have been taken to close schools altogether on that day in the absence of clear and specific instructions to that effect in the scheme. People can draw their own conclusions based on existing procedures and knowledge of the prevailing situation.

In my next post I’ll probe deeper into the existing scheme and find out how the various parties responded in relation to the responsibilities entrusted on them.

Alfa King Memories

If you’ve been sent on a “fool’s errands” as soon as you woke up this morning; or if somebody played pranks on you to make you believe something ridiculous; or still if you discovered the picture of a fish taped on your back, remember it’s April Fools’ Day or All Fools’ Day. The French call it “Poisson d’Avril” (April Fish).

“Oh, how could I be so gullible,” you feel embarrassed. Sheer absurdity, isn’t it? And if you had planned to wake up for a quiet writing day, it’s all spoilt. Your mood is off. Your mind is still revolving around this moment where you find yourself a standing jest. You can’t do anything about it. It’s a day of hoaxes celebrated in many countries around the world.

Don’t feel blocked in your writing though. And if this is what you’ve been dreading of, know that this fear can lead to the condition of the blank page or screen, writer’s block. It’s not the prank of April’s fool anyway. You probably need to shake yourself up, take a deep breath and start over again before you get stuck as you don’t want to break your writing rhythm.

Incidentally, in her article “Writers Block – What to Do about It”. Anne Wayman provides some useful tips to address this awful condition which affects to great extent beginners.

Anne identifies two types of fatigue that, according to her own experience, “can lead to temporary writer’s block”: fatigue from “not getting enough rest; and fatigue from not taking enough breaks during the writing process”.

Taking deep breaths, drinking water to lubricate the brain and the body, doing some physical action to change your state, talking about it are among the practical solutions Anne proposes to tackle this issue which, if not addressed properly, can exacerbate and become “a sign of deeper problems” that might require professional counselling.

And if you do fancy having another practical look at this problem you might consider taking a peek at “Is this writer’s block?”, which I wrote last year at the beginning of my blogging trail.

Have fun as you read.

Alfa King Memories

Leading killer

Stroke is the killer number three and adult disability factor number one in the United States and Europe. It takes away the life of more than 150 000 people every year in the US; and affects some 800 000 new or recurrent stroke sufferers yearly. A definite medical emergency and life-threatening neurological injury affecting people’s health on a global scale, stroke can cause permanent brain damage and death. More than 65 billion USD will be required this year to meet related medical costs.

Tough but possible

If left undiagnosed, stroke will become the leading cause of worldwide deaths. Although the symptoms are not easily identifiable it is vital to recognise, diagnose and treat a stroke victim as quick as possible. Tough but possible, neurologists are optimistic. They say they can reverse the effects completely provided the stroke victim is brought for treatment within three hours. There’s very little hope beyond that time frame.

Scene of stroke

But a stroke occurs suddenly, so fast that it shocks bystanders. It may happen anywhere, at home, on the road, at work; and you may be the only person on site. Imagine yourself with a victim headlong or otherwise, in a weak and confused state. It could be anyone from your close relative to a dear friend, or a fellow worker. What do you do?

Unless you have been trained to deal with emergencies you’ll panic. Won’t you?

But if you know the techniques of recognising a stroke you can make all the difference. You can save a life; you can prevent the victim from getting crippled for life. How? Let us first of all try to find out what a stroke is and how it affects people.

What is a stroke?

A stroke which is also called a cerebrovascular accident (CVA) or cerebral infarction is a cardiovascular disease. There are two ways a stroke can strike.

First when the blood vessel carrying oxygen and nutrients to the brain is blocked by a clot (thrombus). This condition is called ischemia (lack of blood supply).

And, secondly, when the blood vessel bursts and causes hemorrhage. In either case the brain is deprived and starts to die.

It is therefore vital to restore the blood flow as quickly as possible. A long period of blood deprivation to the brain may cause nerve cells to die. The brain can be damaged permanently and irreversibly.

A higher death rate is associated with hemorrhagic stroke. But ischemic stroke, also called thrombotic stroke, is more common and accounts for more than 85 per cent of all strokes. It occurs mostly at night or in the early morning. It is often preceded by what is called a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or a “warning stroke” which lasts only a few minutes. If you identify a TIA victim bring him to immediate medical care.

What are the effects of a stroke?

The effects depend largely on where the obstruction or disruption is located and how much the brain is damaged. The brain is a complex organ and functions such that one side of it controls the opposite side of the body.

A stroke in the right side of the brain will affect the left side of the body and the right side of the face. The left side of the body is paralysed and the victim may experience vision problems and memory loss, and display quick, inquisitive behaviour.

A stroke in the left side will affect the right side of the body and left side of the face. The victim may suffer right side body paralysis, experience memory loss and speech problems and display slow, cautious behaviour.

Treatment

As a layman it’s not your job to administer treatment. Leave it to the professionals; neurologists and emergency physicians will act according to the type of stroke. For ischemic stroke they’ll usually administer clot-busting drugs while a surgical intervention would be necessary for hemorrhagic stroke. But these medical specialists are not always on the scene of the accident. Can you as a bystander do anything? How will you handle the situation?

What you can do

Well, at least you can START the process of treatment. Note I said “process”, which means there are other things you can do before effective (professional) treatment is available. Fair enough if you know a bit of first aid principles. It shouldn’t be a big deal if you don’t.

The most important thing is to act promptly. Remember every minute counts. Don’t panic. Recognise the problem and call the ambulance immediately. If you are in Mauritius dial 114; in the US it’s 911, otherwise check your country’s emergency number. You are the key person here. You are going to START the treatment. How will you recognise the symptoms? Follow the steps below and give a clear description of your own observations to the emergency team once they are on site:

S – The patient cannot SMILE if asked to; there’s sudden numbness of the face
T – If you ask him to TALK he is incoherent
A – He is not ALERT; has trouble seeing and suffers severe headache
R – He cannot RAISE both arms; there’s loss of balance; he cannot walk
T – His TONGUE is crooked or sways sideways.

Don’t forget you have only three hours for a proper treatment; and the victim needs to be hospitalized within an hour of the occurrence of the stroke in order to allow for appropriate evaluation, diagnosis and treatment.

Learn also to know who are vulnerable to stroke

Basically the risk factors are the same as for other cardiovascular diseases. People with hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, migraine with aura, previous history of stroke or TIA; cigarette smokers; cases of atrial fibrillation, thrombophilia (a thrombosis tendency) and older aged persons are most at risk.

What next?

Take your health in your hands. Doctors cannot do it all. Once you are aware of the risk factors you can take action to reduce the risk of recurrent episodes of stroke. Cardiovascular complications are the result of unhealthy lifestyle, lack of exercise, improper diet or uncontrolled medication. You can prevent a stroke if you adopt a healthier lifestyle. If you feel you are at risk or you have ever experienced a TIA there’s no better way to keep it under control. Here’s what you can do:

• If you are diabetic and hypertensive try to keep these under control. Very often people are not aware they have diabetes and hypertension until they are diagnosed as a result of an emergency
• Practise physical exercise, control your weight
• Control your diet, eat healthy
• If you smoke, quit.

Alternatively medical specialists may prescribe drugs to “thin” the blood.

If you follow the above carefully you’ll go a long towards keeping the stroke incidence at a low level. Not only you’ll contribute to a healthier world population, you’ll also help save billions of dollars for fighting against this big killer.

Further reading:

- American Heart Association
- National Institutes of Health and National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
- KNOW STROKE: KNOW THE SIGNS. ACT IN TIME

Alfa King Memories

Alfa King is a Mauritius-based blogger and emerging copywriter and freelance writer. He is a former editor of trade union newsletter and has contributed articles for various in-house magazines and newsletters. He has written technical papers for trade unions, employers and professional organisations. As a professional in Occupational Safety & Health, First Aider and advisor in Human Resources he has worked with both public and private bodies and conducted training programmes at various levels.

One year already, since I started and launched this blog, my first ever encounter in the blogosphere. It’s been a passionate journey into the world of writing. I do indeed have to confess, I learnt a lot from this, shall I now call it, hobby. Battling in the field of pros was kind of very exciting, enriching and above all inspiring. That’s the least I can say.

I didn’t choose to launch my blog site on the day I started it, that is on the eve of the independence and republic day of my country. “It’s a mere coincidence that I start my first blog on this auspicious occasion of our independence,” read one of the lines in my first post Figures 39 and 15 on 12 and 3, which ended with “It’s a day for me to take the first bold step…”

I’m still wondering on this mathematical-puzzle-type heading, and whether it was appropriate to the story. With hindsight I find it somewhat funny. Anyway I was just taking the plunge into the ocean of letters, figures and characters. “Survive if you can, or never ever dare show yourself again,” I pledged to myself.

Bold step it was indeed; hardest for being the first. I never knew I could keep up with the rhythm: 167 posts; OK not too much, not too little either, about one post every two days on the average. Not fair enough as a part timer? Agree, at times it could’ve been all crap. But that’s what it may be like when you set off crafting.

Each moment is one where your adrenalin is at its highest. Often getting wrecked looking for the right words, gone for ever once lost. Who hasn’t had a ready-to-burst itching head? Is it always swift writing? Who can tell?

And then you realise that the stumbling blocks on your way and your never-let-go temperament are what help mould your craft with renewed vigour. That’s what brought me to where I find myself today; not much of perfect, but still better than the novice I was on the same day last year.

Would I convince you if I told you it’s damn hard work? Those who’ve been through this journey know what I mean, unless they were born bloggers or writers (Is there something like a “born” blogger or writer?) like the born “leaders”.

I wouldn’t be the blogger I am (granted I have yet a long way to go), had I not peeped in and drunk from the well of other experienced and well-established bloggers and writers, although I didn’t always leave any comment. It isn’t pretty much my thing to comment just for the sake, I’m sorry. A comment is worth when it adds value to the discussion. Skelliewag knows what I’m talking about. Skellie found in me the “most valuable commenter of the week” for my “thoughtful” comments in her “Ask the Readers: What’s Your Definition of Success?”

Incidentally, you may wish to read her remarks in her subsequent post Ask the Readers: Where are the Holes in Your Leaky Bucket?

You’ll also find a reflection of the comments in my own post

From a strictly writing perspective I have been particularly impressed and inspired by renowned professionals like Darren Rouse (Pro-Blogger), Skellie (Skelliewag), Nick Daws (My Writing Blog), Linda Jones (Freelance Writing Tips), Suzanne Harris (Suzie – My Digital Desk) to name but a few; the list would be too long.

But on the technical side I have to say it loud: I am greatly indebted to my webmaster, Wakish. From the design and layout to the theme and avatar, from free to a paid hosting service with my own domain name, the credit goes to him only. He’s the one who’s been by my side, always, since the inception. His excellent workmanship and his unflinching technical support, guidance and collaboration have been determinant in the process of realising and hosting of this site. It was all Greek to me. Would it suffice to just say thank you so much Wakish? For one thing, no money can compensate for the perseverance you had in putting up things for me.

Well, folks if you find me still afloat it’s thanks to your trusted readership and support. And if you’ve been through my welcome and about pages, you should already be aware that Alfa King Memories is dedicated to sharing knowledge and experiences with a view to honing one’s writing. This is still valid today and will ever be; more so with enhanced professionalism and commitment to excellence.

One year after, am I still crawling? Or toddling? Am I, like my country, able to stand on my own feet? You know, one can never be objective towards oneself. You people are better placed to gauge how I’ve been faring. So use my comment box. Tell me how I can improve. More than a stumbling-block, criticism is for me a propellant, a stepping-stone, keep this in mind.

How will I rate the success of my blog? I don’t have a straightforward answer. I’d define success in terms of the extent of feeling of satisfaction and recognition I derive in the step-by-step realization of the goal I’ve set. It’s a passionate journey, as I said at the beginning, and each day is a fulfilment in itself, a success for my blog.

I’ll end up with Gabry PONTE’s My Butterfly lyrics:

Fly or never fly, across the sky fly forever fly my butterfly fly or never fly,
across the sky fly forever fly my butterfly every time I close my eyes
I can fly across the sky I spread my wings I feel fine I see my world so blue
and no doubts I’d seel my life for a dream come true
live one day and then I’ll die like a butterfly. I fly, I fly, I fly.

Cheers.

Alfa King Memories

You’ve established your blog and started writing. Yeah? That’s a bold step into the world of writing. The first step is always the hardest. Alfa King Memories is not privy to this. But you’d understand from my previous post that it’s a great opportunity to practise your writing skills. As you proceed you’ll see the avenues are numerous.

However, there’s no single way you can break into print if you are serious about it. OK, I know you are determined. That’s why you are here. But it all depends on how you look at it although you may not be an expert in a particular field.

Go ahead, slowly but surely, as they say. Grab the area you are most at ease; but don’t neglect those that might offer opportunities for steady income if you get to master the skills. Press release is one of them. That’s exactly what we are going to see together in this post. Can I ask a question before we proceed?

What is a press release?

Any guess? OK, let’s find out.

Put simply a press release is a statement, and as its name implies it is meant for the press. The aim is to announce a product or service or whatever that is newsworthy in order to get media coverage at no cost. In other words it’s a free publicity opportunity for the item presented.

What a press release is not

No shrugging. I can legitimately anticipate your question: “But is it not advertising?” No it isn’t. Advertising is different. It uses a different language, boasting and flowery style. It aims at appealing to the customer with a view to persuade them to buy a product or service.

In a press release you are not selling. The aim is not to sell. You are not talking to the customer. If you followed me I mentioned “newsworthy” and “media coverage”. This implies:

(i) You are writing for a particular audience: the press or the media, which is not interested in buying something. The media seeks rather to fill the need for news. The press release should therefore appeal first and foremost to this target audience.

(ii) The press release should answer the 5 W’s (who, what, where, when, why) of the news item and provide as much information as possible.

A word of caution however:

But beware. Don’t overwrite. Stick to the KISS principle. Keep it short, simple (I won’t say silly or stupid, because you need to be serious here. We are talking business).

Write it all in a business tone. Avoid emotion. Be factual. Use active voice; avoid jargon and too flowery language; be objective but provide adequate background information about the product or service including corporate profile.

A well written press release should be no more than 400 to 500 words.

Are you still with me? So before wrapping up, let’s cast a glance at the constituents of a press release.

What are the elements of a press release?

A typical press release will be composed of elements such as:

(i) A headline – a single line that tells what the press release is about. It should grab the attention of the journalist for whom you are writing. So if you can write from a journalist’s perspective you’ve got it.

(ii) A dateline – the release date and usually the city of origin.

(iii) A summary – a synopsis of the news to be released, elaborating on the headline.

(iv) An introduction – a first paragraph with basic information to grab the attention.

(v) A body – a paragraph giving further details and explanation.

(vi) An about section – also called a “boilerplate”, providing corporate background information.

(vii) A Contact information section – spelling out the name, telephone number, mailing address, e-mail or any other means the media can reach the company.

Hold on; not finished yet. How would you indicate the end of the press release? Simple, insert the characters “# # #” or “-30-” at the bottom of the page.

That’s it folks. Whether you’ve decided to write a press release or otherwise, I hope you find it useful. I’d welcome any other viewpoints, suggestions or comments.

If you want to read further I’d suggest the following:

- How to Write a Proper Press Release

- Some examples of how to write a press release

Alfa King Memories

So you want to break into writing? You are stuck somewhere? While you are still trying to juggle with your first words your neighbours are already way ahead of you. “Is there a magic formula?” You start asking yourself. “Why can’t I make it?” The hard facts are that you don’t become a writer overnight; some people end up writing although they didn’t want to; and still there are those who never become writers however they strive. You understand what I mean?

Well, don’t get complacent about it. Writing has never been so easy, so accessible, and so affordable. Numerous tools are available and we cannot deny the significant contribution of the electronic media to that effect. All we need is to get to know how we can make the best use of what is at hand. If we can learn from the experiences and the guidance of established writers and professionals in the domain, there’s no reason we can’t achieve our goals.

That is why I’d suggest you read about what a professional writer and editor has to say. “Establish a blog and start writing!” advises London-based travel writer, Caitlin Fitzsimmons. It gives “an immediate outlet and the opportunity to practise writing and get feedback from readers”.

Caitlin was interviewed by Kiwiwriter at Write to Travel blog. This interview addresses various pertinent issues about writing; and Caitlin is very firm on them. Like, for example, she doesn’t advocate “writing for free” as you’ll be “doing yourself and your profession a disservice”. And she advises you to “try to hang on to copyright”, which is quite akin to what I expressed in my previous post.

Anyone willing to get into writing, travel writing in particular, may find this interview useful. As she was interviewed for a travel writing blog, Caitlin talks extensively about travel writing, the future of travel writers and challenges of travel writing before giving us an insight of the wonderful island of Tasmania which is her favourite place.

Alfa King Memories