Calm through the storm

This radio professional was at work through Cyclone Gonu, staying on air for 26 hours as there was no way to leave the station. He talks to BusinessToday about his experience

Did you consider taking the day off when Gonu hit?
Not at all. There was a job and it had to be done. I got in as usual at 5 am to relieve the person who had been working the shift before mine. I expected to leave by 11:30am, when my shift was to end when someone would come in to take over from me. But the storm had started to pick up by then. So I could not leave and my replacement could not come in for work.

What kind of calls were you getting?
Obviously, everyone was scared. This was not like anything anyone had experienced before. In the beginning, people wanted to know what time exactly the storm would hit. The English FM was a source of information and from us they wanted to know where they could get more information. We were getting constant updates from the ROP and the Met Department, and we could provide numbers where people could call in. Later, there were people stranded in their houses as the water started coming in, and they wanted to know how they could get help. These were the distress calls. Some callers were angry as well when they could not get through to the numbers they wanted. It was very difficult to answer and reassure all the callers. But we had great support from the ROP and other authorities.

What was the situation like at the radio station itself?
There were a lot of people from the Arabic service as well as the administration who were there. No one could leave as the cyclone approached. We had water, juices, biscuits, and some other snacks to go around. It was enough to manage on, so we were okay. Proper food could only come in much later, when the cyclone had passed.

What was the toughest part of the situation for you?
Personally, it was tough to be away from my family – my wife and my daughter. We were fortunate that we were able to talk over the phone. However, I still could not help but worry about their safety. Professionally, it was challenging to reassure all the callers when I was concerned about the situation myself. Like I said, this was a completely new situation for everyone. We were all trying to deal with it as best as we could, seeking information and help from where we could find it.