| VIDEO | AUDIO |
OPEN ON LUSH SCENES OF
JAMAICA - BEACHES, FORESTS,
VILLAGES, TOWNS, ETC. |
SOUND: Establish instrumental Reggae music and under for:
ANNCR: On an island, in the Caribbean, it is a day much like any other.
SOUND: Music up and under.
ANNCR: It is also the last routine day many of these people will enjoy for some time to come. That evening, the news
report brings warning of the disaster that will soon affect the entire country. |
| WIPE TO SHOT OF TV SET. THE NEWSCASTER IS POINTING TO A WEATHER MAP OF THE CARIBBEAN. |
NEWSCASTER: Here we see the first signs of the approaching storm... (THEN FADE OUT FOR:)
ANNCR: On the television screen, brightly lit colors represent the swirling winds and pounding rains rapidly
heading toward land. The colors warn - of a hurricane. |
| CUT TO SHOT OF HURRICANE AT FULL FORCE. BRING IN TITLE SUPER: IN THE PATH OF THE
HURRICANE. |
SOUND: Dramatic, suspenseful music mixed with natural sound of wind blowing. |
CONTINUE HURRICANE FOOTAGE:
WIND BLOWING TREES, ROOFS, WATER, ETC. |
ANNCR: This is the story of one such hurricane: Hurricane Gilbert, 1988. But it is also the
story of all hurricanes and what can be done to prepare for
them. Preparedness is key because natural disasters cannot be
prevented. Even predicting when and where the storm will hit
is seldom accurate. |
| CLOSE UP SHOT OF JAMAICAN WEATHER OFFICIAL. |
SOUND: Music out.
OFFICIAL: Talks about storm unpredictability. (To come.) |
WIDE SHOT OF CARIBBEAN MAP.
THEN, LAP DISSOLVE BETWEEN CLOSE UPS OF THE MAP. |
SOUND: Fade up music.
ANNCR: On September 9th, Gilbert was a tropical
depression off of Guadeloupe. Within days, its 160 mile-an-hour winds marched through portions of the Cayman Islands,
Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Haiti. On the 12th, its full force slammed Jamaica... on the 14th, Mexico. |
| DISSOLVE TO MORE HURRICANE FOOTAGE: PEOPLE RUNNING FOR COVER, CARS SKIDDING ON ROAD,
BOATS CRASHING AGAINST DOCKS. |
SOUND: Bring in natural SFX of storm.
ANNCR: In its wake, hundreds of thousands of people lost
their homes and their way of life. Some lost their very lives. |
| DISSOLVE TO SHOTS OF THE STORM'S AFTERMATH: PEOPLE WALKING IN SHOCK, DAMAGED HOMES,
TREES BLOCKING ROADS, ETC. |
SOUND: Music out.
ANNCR: Of all the island nations damaged by Gilbert,
Jamaica was hit hardest ... a path of destruction cut from one
end of the country to the other. An awesome reminder of
what can happen to any Caribbean island in any given year. |
FOCUS ON DISRUPTED SERVICES:
A CREW WORKING ON DOWNED POWER LINES,
CRUSHED HOUSES, CARS TRYING TO DRIVE ON
FLOODED STREETS, DEVASTATED FIELDS, ETC. |
Both directly and indirectly, a hurricane can set back
hard-gained national development for years. It can cripple the
resources critical
to maintaining a normal standard of life and health - resources
such as power, water, shelter, agriculture, transportation and
communications. |
| FOCUS ON INJURED PEOPLE BEING CARED FOR. |
A hurricane of Gilbert's strength will invariably strain the
health care system of any island nation. Some people will
die, many will be injured, and many more will be exposed to
health risks linked to the storm. Even after the worst has
passed, health care problems persist: |
| CLOSE UP SHOT OF LOCAL HEALTH CARE OFFICIAL. |
OFFICIAL: Talks about health care problems. (To come.) |
| SHOW DAMAGE TO HEALTH CARE FACILITIES: ROOFS BLOWN OFF, DESTROYED OPERATING
ROOMS, SMASHED EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES, ETC. |
ANNCR: At the same time, Health Care personnel can be
hampered in their efforts to treat the population. Nurses and
Doctors can have as much difficulty reaching their stations as
their patients do. Winds of 120 miles-an- hour can rip the
roof off a hospital as easily as it can an aluminum covered
home, and the loss of beds in a hospital can number in the
hundreds. In Jamaica alone, 90 percent of the health facilities
suffered damage. |
| CLOSE UP OF LOCAL HOSPITAL OFFICIAL |
OFFICIAL: Talks about specific damage to his hospital. (To come.) |
| DISSOLVE TO SHOW WORKERS CLEANING UP
WATER TREATMENT PLANT. |
ANNCR: Electricity. Water. Shelter. Transportation.
Adequate supplies. All are necessary for health care
professionals to do their jobs. Restoring these resources to
hospitals and health facilities must be a priority. |
