“Trouble nuh set like rain”- Jamaican proverb

As I write this article, Jamaica is preparing for the onslaught of Hurricane Dean, one of the biggest storm systems to threaten the island in recent years. All throughout this past weekend, shoppers thronged supermarkets and hardware stores stocking up on essentials that they hoped would last them through the adverse weather.

Although I had done most of my shopping in the week, an important forgotten item forced me to join a long line of last-minute buyers. As I waited patiently, I looked around at trolleys laden with loads of batteries, tarpaulins, bottled water, ice chests, flashlights and expensive storage containers. It occurred to me that unfortunately for most consumers, Dean was making his grand entrance the week before most people got paid.

I made a mental tally of the value of all the goods, and realized that even though disaster was looming, the retailers could be quite satisfied with their returns. The big problem was: how many of these shoppers could really afford this emergency? Where were they getting all this money from? Had they maxed out the credit cards that they already were having difficulties paying off? Would a lot of people be unable to pay for school fees in September?

Although we know that we should prepare, are our bank accounts really ready for emergencies?

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