This is the story. Matthew was the first announced storm to come by Roatan this season (lets just forget about the actually really first one (TS Alex), because that one was too early in the season). We all follow the weather on different weather pages on the internet, since we are a dive community we have to be aware that the boats are secured and bilgepumps are working properly. Well by friday early afternoon it already was clear that Tropical Storm Matthew would make landfall on the coast of Nicaragua and venture inland to mainland Honduras, Which means the islands would go clear with a bit wind and rainfall.
Anyways, everyone goes by continuing on with daily life. Some looking forward for friday night out in town untill the authorities arrive with following announcement: Because of incoming storm, there will be a curfew from latest 10 pm, make sure to stock up on food and water as no vehicles will be allowed out untill saturday 6 pm.
Here are following emergency numbers and so on. Since when does RECO (electric company) answer their phones after hours? Anyways, this was around 5 pm, and Matthew was already zooming across the mainland and we still had peace and quiet.
Uwe did ask the authority person: will I get arrested for checking on our boat during the night? They assured that he would be fine. Uwe did not get arrested for the record.
We have been living here since 1999, and have been through quite a few northerns, tropical depressions, storms and getting the outerwinds from hurricanes and had never had a curfew put on us for that reason.
In a storm with wind and rain, it might be the safest time ever to forget to lock your door and go out walking the street or beach in the middle of the night. The potential looters and robbers will be cuddling up home where it is safe.
Well we guess the Islands had to follow the emergency regulations they have on the mainland. After all, they got all the rain and mudslides in the end.
Saturday everything was back to normal.
Now this week we have rain and it has been windy, but its not a TS , (its just miserable changing NNW/NW/SW), so we can run around in the night if we want to.
PS. Think Matthew went to Belize...
