Social media users relieved, irritated by storm warning

IN typical Trinidad and Tobago fashion, social media users used humour to cope with fear and uncertainty over the approaching potential tropical cyclone on Tuesday night.

Many also took serious precautions, including creating kits of essentials and stocking up on groceries, among other things.

But after hours passed with no reports of storm-like conditions, then the eventual discontinuation of the storm warning for TT, users began jokingly saying it was a "waste of time storm."

Posts ranged from people suggesting they had "panic-bought" groceries for nothing, so they'd return them the following day, to others suggesting the storm was perhaps late and arriving "TT time."

One Facebook user said, "Steups. Let me go and iron my blasted work clothes," while another said, "The storm was never physical. It was always within. Look for the storm within."

Over on Twitter, while everyone was awaiting the storm, a user said, "I seeing people writing off the storm early. Jesus, I want you to look at my tweets and see I never say that."

Some also jokingly suggested the storm was always a hoax and a marketing strategy by a baking company to get people to panic-buy bread, since many had been upset about the recent price increase in flour and products made with it .

The infamous Photoshopped image of Jesus Christ's TT identification card also made the rounds.

There was a bit of debate as well, Some people misunderstood the jokes as meaning the posters were upset that the storm had not hit TT.

A Twitter user also said, "I'm more annoyed by the panic caused by meteorologists. No other profession can create that level of panic, get it completely wrong in the end and not face some sort of backlash."

Many called this user out, explaining that it's a complex process.

But overall, most were relieved, opted to find humour in the situation and thanked meteorologists for their work throughout the night.