Goodbye, Irma

For those who are sick of hearing the word “Irma,” you’re in luck — at least in a future sense. The World Meteorological Organization decided to retire the names Irma, Harvey, Maria and Nate from future Atlantic Basin tropical cyclone name lists last week, saying the storms were too destructive for their names to be used again. Typically, Atlantic hurricane and tropical storm names are repeated every six years, unless committee members of the organisation vote to retire certain ones. So in 2023, when the list is recycled, Harold, Idalia, Margot and Nigel will be used instead. According to the National Hurricane Center, this is the fifth time that four or more storm names have been retired for one hurricane season. Beaconites hope the 2018 season will be calmer, and that no names have to be retired at all.

 Work under way

For months after Hurricane Irma, much of the territory seemed to be at a standstill as proprietors waited for insurance payouts and building materials. Beaconites are happy to note that this seems to be changing. In recent weeks, they have noticed much work ongoing in Road Town especially. Even on Sundays, hammering and other construction sounds can be heard in the capital city. And one by one, buildings are being restored to their former glory. Beaconites hope that progress will continue to speed up and improve.

 

Community spirit

In recent months a Beaconite has noticed that there is a renewed enthusiasm for community events, and he hopes it will continue into the future. Over the past week, for instance, residents have come out in force to support events ranging from the Tortola Torture ultramarathon to the Josiahs Bay Surf Classic to an early morning party for hurdler Kyron McMaster’s race in the Commonwealth Games. The Beaconite hopes that this community spirit — which he suspects has been reinvigorated by the hard times after Hurricane Irma — will continue into the future.

 

Donkey days

A reporter who visited St. John this month to report on climate change was surprised during an outdoor interview to hear a loud snort behind him. Two wild donkeys had come to have a sniff of his coffee and muffin. The animals, he learned, are very tame, and tourists love them. But they can be something of a headache as well, according to the women he was interviewing, who quickly shooed away the donkeys before they left a stinky gift.

 

FSC numbers

A Beaconite is curious why the Financial Services Commission is taking so long to publish its usually prompt statistical bulletin for the fourth quarter of 2017. The bulletin outlines important bellwether metrics — namely company incorporation totals — that can indicate the relative health of the financial services industry. The Beaconite called to ask what was taking so long but didn’t receive an answer from FSC officials. He understands the hurricanes threw routines for a loop, but the FSC managed to publish its 2017 Q3 statistical bulletin at the end of November, only two months after that quarter ended. The territory is now two weeks into 2018 Q2 and has yet to see the final numbers for 2017. Given all of the government and industry boasts regarding the sector’s great “continuity” through Irma’s aftermath, its important the commission can publish numbers to back those claims up.