"thunder-boomers" It's typical for August to bring about sudden rainshowers or thunderstorms. They often start by dark clouds moving in slowly from any direction, usually the North or East. Next thunder rolls across the skies; this is followed by lightning and finally perhaps some percipitation will fall. More often than not rain does not come however when it does it tends to brief, isolated, and usually somewhat severe.
This morning lightning caused a power outage over the entire island. I repeat: a lightning strike caused the entire island of Grand Cayman to lose power for 5 or 6 hours today.
I hear that Grand Cayman--where I have been living this summer--is one of the more developed islands in the Caribbean, especially in regards to utilities. A power outage here is a rare experience, whether caused by overload of the system or Mother Nature. Elsewhere I hear this is not the case, and electricty can come and go just as the thundershowers can. And yet this is the life I have chosen for the next two years. Beautiful.  ¶ 8/22/2005 11:10:00 PM