# Negril.com Message Board Forums > Negril Message Board >  Anniversary of Hurricane Gilbert. Where were you on the 12th September 1988?

## Firefly Cottages

On the 12th September,  25years ago Hurricane Gilbert hit Jamaica.  It's a hurricane that people continue to talk about. Where were you on this date. Were you born?  I was living in England. I always remember the scenario of the woman on the tv. saying mi breadfruit tree gaan. there was so much drama. Sadly some persons lives were lost. Whilst others it took years to build back their homes.  Even until this day I will always remember that song sung by Lovingdeer.  That song was indeed a hit. :Cool:

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## Seveen

i was living in Atlanta watching Jamaica get decimated by Gilbert --- a few days later i was in Jamaica - with as many supplies for friends as i could carry --- i will never forget blue tents all over the place --- very grim time

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## Marko

mi was up in New England pounding nails and painting when mi heard da sad news........ 
mi had just been there hanging out on da beach that spring at Barry's.........
and knew from the destruction they were broadcasting.......
that it would take a long time to recover......it saddened mi very much
so I took mi time getting back.....mi had a lot of irons in da fire back then
it's the longest break mi ever took from Negril......
and finally returned in '91 and things seemed back to normal.....
though there wasn't as much floral.....and you could see clear to the ocean from the hills......
as compared to prior to Gilbert when all you could see was bush from the hills.......
a lot of new roofs.......LTU had to rebuild their place etc which is where mi stayed in '91
mi heard a lot of war stories when mi had returned......and the beach was missing a lot of trees
mi ex was hold up at the family house when Gilbert hit.....
she said Gilbert took a break and the sun came out...
and then she said the backlash from Gilbert was worse than the intial hit........
she had nightmares about Gilbert for years after it happened.......
everyone still talkie about it der.......like it happened yesterday........yah mon

Cool Runnings, Marko

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## MissBlue

i was in Negril....  it was my first trip to Jamaica....  we were camped out on the cliffs, at a place called 'Dred Lion', which was directly adjacent to Ricks just on the other side of the little wall next to the diving platform. At that time there was a little guest house there with a lovely lush green area out at the cliff edge, where we had pitched our tent. One day we were sitting on the beach down at the craft market (about 5 shacks at the time) when the storm rolled in - we had NO CLUE it was a hurricane (no tv or phones up there in those days, so we had not seen nor heard any 'news')... and we thought "how _cool_!  We can watch a thunderstorm over the sea!" - lol.  Little did we know. Then the rain started really pounding, and we saw a big hot-pink strike of lightning hit the transformer box, exploding it in a huge shower of sparks; all the lights went out all the way up the west end -  then we realized something was up, and we'd better get up to the cliffs and check on our campsite.  by the time we reached up there the entire tent was filled with water, everything floating away, and our hammock whipping about in the wind, hanging on to what was left of the tree by one little thread. Yeeeks!! LOL.  We had no choice but to leave everything and run, got out to the road and Drumville Cove opened its doors to all who needed shelter, gave everyone a clean towel and free shower, fed us all with whatever snacks they had on hand, and we passed the night hunkered down in there by candlelight.  Came out next day to west end road hip-deep in water ....  after a few hours the water receded revealing everything in utter destruction, and covered in mud. Then we all set about cleanup.....  about a week later when it was time to leave, we literally had no cash left and nearly no belongings; we had given away all our towels and water bottles and flashlights and most of our camping gear and clothing to those in need.... we got to the airport filthy and raggedy, and the security guards looked at us like we were the scum of the earth when we revealed that we did not have any money to pay departure tax.  LMAO! they basically snarled at us to 'just get on the plane and get OUT!" - (I mean what were they gonna do- keep us there and pay for our upkeep?  LOL) 

Although it was scary and could have been dangerous, in the end nobody in our area got seriously hurt, and it turned out to be an awesome experience of caring and sharing up in the west end, with everyone, tourists and locals together, helping each other to clean up and put everything back together again. After the storm i don't even think we paid for another meal - i honestly can't recall exactly, but i do remember we traded away our stuff, helped clean and rebuild anything in any way we could offer, and we were fed and taken care of in return.  that experience is what began my love of Jamaica and the Jamaican people.
.

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## lanetop

my dad was huddled in a neighbours's resturant bathroom the entire night with a jamaican dude..when the storm cleared the next morning..the jamaican dude stole the toilet..my dad tried to stop him..and the jamaican dude pulled out a knife and threatened to slice my dad's throat,making gestures with knife..my dad had to back down....welcome to negril....lol

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## captaind

I was in the middle of the Pacific and heard it over the company radio being relayed from ships in the Caribbean but had no idea how bad it was until I got back to the US and then to Ja.

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## Firefly Cottages

Wow!!! what an experience.  the security guard part is ever so funny!!!

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## Firefly Cottages

lololol dwl. I know its serious but I have to really laugh. the toilet?  gosh!!!

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## Firefly Cottages

interesting, in the middle of the Pacific!

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## Firefly Cottages

yeah it was grim

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## MissBlue

i KNOW, right? Firefly i tellya it was like the airport staff were living in some alternate universe, and had NOT a CLUE what people had just gone through....  perhaps since we were white tourists they could not imagine that we weren't coming from a nice clean protected A/I in Mobay. LOL,  we just thought it was hilarious and ridiculous.

also LMAO @ stealing the toilet, i know it was not in any way funny at the time, but now?  -  i cannot help but BOAL!

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## Firefly Cottages

I know you will remember this for the rest of your life. It was good though the help that you gave.

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## captaind

> interesting, in the middle of the Pacific!


I was Master of a container ship but still had my "off contract" house and business in Jamaica.

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## Firefly Cottages

Ok, now I understand.

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## Flipadelphia26

I was probably just getting started with my first week of kindergarten.

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## Lady Jane

Snort@Flip
Wow, some great stories. The toilet is a hoot! 
I was moving to Grand Cayman, when Gilbert hit. At the time not many people here knew about the Cayman Islands , it wasn't talked about as a tourist destination like Jamaica. When I arrived there was much destruction, I had just left there in July to await my work permit so it was very clear to me what Gilbert had done
I believe Jamaica suffered a lot more destruction than Cayman. It was Hurricane Ivan that really wiped Grand Cayman

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## kaycee

I dont have any stories, but I will say I wasnt even a year old yet.

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## MoFromMonroe

Hahah Flip.  Now that is funny. So young.......

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## Firefly Cottages

Yes Lady Jane, you see the eye of the hurricane went through Jamaica hence the devastation.  Yes it was Hurricane Ivan that wiped Grand Cayman.  Hurricane Ivan lingered outside of Jamaica on the South Coast, it was eerie actually at nights. when there is no electricity and you hear the banging on the door.  wow it was awful for me.  But I wrote a poem about it. one day i will print it.

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## Firefly Cottages

Oh that's lovely. Do you still work in Kindergarten?

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## kim in socal

We were in the Trelawny area the end of August 1988 on our honeymoon...Missed it by a few weeks.
Just had our 25th anniversary and still love traveling to Jamaica...

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## Rob

This is what I wrote here just over 2 years ago when the 23rd anniversary was the topic of the day:

"I was staying on the beach at the Native Sun Villas (now the Sea Sand Eco Villas) when Gilbert passed overhead. There are really no words I have ever been able to come up with to properly describe that hurricane - to say I was frightened would be an understatement!

But the reaction of the Jamaican people after Gilbert was the single most important reason why I made the decision to live in Jamaica. And my decision to move here has been backed up by the folks I run into everyday - their resourcefulness is still a daily inspiration for me!"

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## Firefly Cottages

That's Lovely!

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## Firefly Cottages

Amen to that Rob.  Great way to put it.

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## Beebeluv

i was ten months and a day old probably just with my mother in california.

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## Weathermon & Mi Lady

Since it was a Monday, I was at work in Kansas City, Missouri. It was another life for me than I have now and Jamaica wasn't  on my radar screen at this time. 

However, I was aware of Hurricane Gilbert and the devastation it was causing. It was the most intense hurricane in the Atlantic Basin up to that time and the largest. The name "Gilbert" was retired and will never be used again to name another hurricane.

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## Muck

I can vividly recall what I was doing on Sept 12th, 1988 as that was my very first day of Marine Corps bootcamp in San Diego. I doubt they made any mention of the hurricane to the recruits.

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## Firefly Cottages

Thats Interesting Muck and Weathermon

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