36 Source: https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/ imagery/interactive-maps/the-world-real-time • Continued from previous page Note on the compass face above, due (exactly) East is ninety degrees (90°). Due South is one hundred and eighty degrees (180°). Due South is two hundred and seventy degrees (270°). Due north is zero degrees (0°). Note that The Bahamas is the most northerly CARICAD member state, Suriname is the most southerly, Barbados is the most easterly and Belize is the most westerly. Belize and Jamaica both straddle 17°N. Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica and St. Vincent and the Grenadines are about on the same line in terms of East to West location. In earlier years there was a tradition of identifying a ‘Hurricane Belt’ in the Atlantic Basin. It encompassed the northern part of the Caribbean Sea as well as the Gulf of Mexico. It also included Florida and the Florida Keys. There is now a disinclination to consider the Hurricane Belt as having statistical certitude in the Caribbean context. It used to be said that Grenada was outside the Hurricane Belt but that kind of thinking started to change when Grenada was devastated by a major hurricane (Ivan) in 2004. It is worth remembering that in 1955 Hurricane Janet, a category five hurricane, caused widespread damage and several deaths in Barbados and the Grenadines. The Grenadines were considered to be outside the zone of greatest threat. Source: Shutterstock.com There is a simple way to orient yourself on the ground at home. When you face East (where the sun rises) North is on your left and South is on your right. When you face West (where the sun sets) North is on your right and South is on your left. In the old days of physical (printed) maps by convention the top of a map was usually North. Nowadays technology-driven Apps, GPS receivers and cell phones make finding your bearings a lot easier. However, remember that devices that rely on batteries for power will not work if the batteries do not work or if there is no back-up system.
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